Compilations and Requests
by notjustanyfangrl
Summary: A series of requests I receive from Tumblr and full requests. Mainly Fairy Tail and Nalu. Ratings will vary.
1. Dance For You

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Hiphop!AU, T**

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Lucy stared at the glass door in front of her, the sloping letters of the Fairy Tail Dance Studio staring her down. She fidgeted with her hair, styled in a high ponytail, and tugged at her loose crop top, the white and black design making the pieces of bright pink sports bra that peeked out all the more noticeable. She didn't know why she was so nervous, her outfit -which included black harem pants with swirling pink designs- was more than appropriate for a hip hop teacher, even if she _was_ starting at the second most prestigious dance academy in all of Fiore. The first was the Heartfilia Studio, but for, ah, _personal reasons_ , Lucy had not applied.

Taking in a deep breath, Lucy lifted her chin and pushed open the door. The entire front of the building was glass, so light filtered in easily. Plush red chairs formed seating areas, the dark stained wood that covered all visible floor making the building warm and inviting. The downside to having such an open design was that the pretty - _gorgeous-_ receptionist had been able to watch Lucy steel herself, and she gave the new teacher a fond smile as Lucy approached. When Lucy got close enough, she couldn't help but stifle a squeal as she saw the woman's name plaque read _Mira Jane_. As in _the_ Mira Jane Strauss, not only the most gifted pointe dancer Fairy tail had ever produced, but Lucy's ex-idol and the dancer credited with bringing acrobatic pointe to Fiore.

Before Lucy could begin to gush uncontrollably, Mira spoke. "You must be Lucy! Master Makarov has been bragging about you for the past week. You're here for the hip hop position, right?" her voice was sweet and silky, Lucy flushing at the praise.

"Yes, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity," Lucy beamed, and Mira smiled brightly back at her. If all of the staff here were as open and friendly as Mira was, Lucy couldn't wait to start. It was so much different from the cold, demanding style of her last studio...

"So on the left we have the hip hop, latin, and theater, and then on the right we have the ballet, jazz, and modern studios. The offices are on the third floor and each level has change rooms and shower room. Have you had a chance to explore yet?" Mira's explanation and question drew Lucy back to the present, and she grinned shyly at the white-haired woman in front of her.

"No, I met with Mr. Makarov outside of my old studio, and he kind of interviewed me there. I've always dreamed of dancing here though," Lucy trailed off, allowing herself to look at the high ceilings and glass walls in awe. She still couldn't believe she was really here. Mira giggled lightly as she imagined stars forming in Lucy's eyes, the tinkling sound drawing Lucy once more back to the present.

"Just Master is fine. He hates the formalities of other studios, thinking that 'Master' would have been too ridiculous for anyone to actually call him. But it stuck, and now we call him that, even if he grumbles about it. As for exploring, don't worry, I'll keep it our little secret," Mira winked at her, voice becoming hushed as though they were discussing some great secret, and Lucy couldn't help but lean in conspiratorially. She grinned at Mira again, but shook her head.

"I'll have to take you up on that offer some other time, but I really should go and get used to the hip hop studios. Thank you so much, erm," Lucy said rueful, voice becoming hesitant as she struggled on what exactly to call Mira. The woman seemed to be able to read Lucy's mind, and she giggled a little as she spoke.

"Just Mira is fine. See you around, Lucy!" she said kindly, and Lucy gripped her duffle bag strap tightly as she smiled thankfully at her new friend.

"Yeah," she exhaled, and waved back at the receptionist as she turned and walked towards the large hallway that led to the dance studios on the left side of the building.

 _She was really here!_

Lucy couldn't fight the skip in her step as she walked through the hallway, the studios having large glass windows that took up almost the entire wall on the hallway side. It allowed an excellent look into the large rooms, grey plastic floors, floor to ceiling mirrors and window, and double bars all bringing a feeling of home and nostalg crashing over Lucy. She had built so many memories growing up in this world, and now she had been given the chance to share that with the new generations to come. To instill the love and passion for dance, the unity that was supposed to come with being a studio. A family. That was what Fairy Tail taught, not that winning and beating others was the most important thing. It was still high on the list, but not the _most_ important.

High-paced Latin music transferred dully through the room closest to the spiral staircase that led to second floor, and curiously Lucy paused to see who was dancing. Inside she saw a tall, bulky man with a lightning shaped scar over his right eye and spiked, blond hair bring a smaller man -with his bright green hair pulled back into a ponytail- against his chest. The taller man was shirtless, a large black swirling tattoo on his left ribcage, and black fitted pants hung low and snug on his waist, the ends covering the tops of his ballroom shoes. The other man was built more lithely, and was wearing a fitted black t-shirt and maroon pants. The two did not notice their new audience and continued to move, feet and legs moving quickly as they circled one. The green haired man broke away suddenly, the blond chasing after him with forceful steps. The green haired man allowed himself to be caught, smiling coyly when the blond grabbed his hips and yanked his back against his bare chest. Lucy couldn't help but feel the heat crawl along her face as she watched the intimate tango, and spun on her heel when she saw the green haired man slowly sinking to his, back dragging seductively against the blond man's front.

She fanned her face as she hurried up the stone steps, dark wood of the banister unneeded. Lucy slowed her pace to a more leisurely stroll as she walked along the hallway on the second floor. The studio setup was similar to downstairs, multiple rooms lined on either side of the hall, large viewing windows allowing a peek inside. Lucy could tell she was in the hip hop area now though, the grey floor more padded than the rooms down stairs, adding a bit of a bounce to the natural movement.

A low beat caught Lucy's attention, and she saw a studio door open to her left. A low voice drawled dully, Lucy missing the words but catching the condescending tone. Another, slightly higher pitched, voice responded with a _very_ rude comment. Lucy's curiosity was hooked now, and she let her feet move of their own accord to the open door. Inside she saw two men, one standing off to the side while the other was doing -impressive- 1 1/2 air flares, legs whipping around as he went from his hands to his elbows over and over, eventually stopping in a one hand freeze, the other giving the standing man the middle finger.

Lucy knew she should be focusing more on the bare chested dancer pulling off highly skilled moves, raven hair parting to reveal icy blue eyes staring smugly up at the other man, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the other. There he was, The Salamander. Fairy Tail's best break dancer, rivaled only by the Demon Slayer, who Lucy could only assume was the man pushing himself into a handstand and flipping onto his feet. The Salamander sneered at his cocky grin, wild and unruly pink hair partially tamed by a scaled white scarf tied around his head. His arms were crossed over his graffiti patterned tank, the material hanging loosesly off of his shoulders. His muscles twitched in anticipation, biceps bulging and shifting under his tan skin, feet impatiently rocking his weight from side to side as he waited for his turn on the floor. His bright red bboy sneakers poking out from the loose gray sweats he wore, black stitching of E.N.D running down his right leg. He continued to glower at bboy Demon Slayer, dark green eyes following his movements as the dancer spun into a completely vertical 2000, lifting a hand on the final turn before dropping to a few quick back spins. Lucy had to cringe at watching his bare skin skim across the floor, even if the bboy seemed unaffected.

Finally it seemed to be The Salamander's turn as The Demon Slayer walked backwards, arms spread in a challenge. He started with quick toprock steps, feet barely touching the floor as he got into the rhythm of the music, waiting when the beat started to pick up as he anticipated the drop. Lucy finally recognized the remix as the lyrics sounded through the studio.

 _Get, get, get. get low when the whistle go._

The Salamander dropped into a sudden set of windmills, smoothly shifting into a set of elbow flares that he alternated with quick footwork between rotations. Lucy could only watch in awe as he effortlessly shifted once more into a bridge position, kicking himself off of his back and onto his feet only to continue forward with a flip, single hand braced on the ground and the other grabbing one ankle. He landed single footedly, grip causing his other leg to cross behind his knee. Lucy gasped audibly, but the two men were too consumed by their battle to notice. The Salamander released his ankle, smirking at The Demon Slayer as he gave him two middle fingers before swinging his free foot into the air in front of him and propelling himself into a backflip, feet tucking immediately and landing in a wide stance, thighs bracing before the bboy was flipping backwards again. This time he went to his chest, arms propped on either side of his body as his lower body swung around with the momentum, pulling him into a flare, then an air flair, and then a set of air chair spins. The Demon Slayer bared his teeth at the other bboy, rolling his eyes as he shoved his fists into the pockets of his brown harem pants, tucked into dark boots. But the Salamander wasn't finished, pulling his body into a freeze and pulsing in it for a few seconds.

Lucy unconsciously took more steps into the studio, drawn in by The Salamander's quick spins, moves of varying levels that she didn't even think had names coming one after another, feet tapping the floor after a head spin only to push his body back into the air and a flare that gave his body the momentum to rotate around a straight arm twice, legs pulled against his body before pulling into more impossible footworking. She could understand how he got his name now, quick movements and sharp blow ups like that of a lizard darting. His flexibility also alluded to that of a salamander, the way his back and legs moved while the power strained just beneath his skin, a faint sheen of sweat making him glow as he danced. It seemed that The Demon Slayer was finally acknowledging her, but Lucy was too enraptured by The Salamander's finishing moves to notice. He moved through a critical with ease before winding into one-handed air flares, the third time around switching to a single handed chair flare. Lucy brought her hand to cover her mouth as she gaped at him. She had never seen someone attempt to do that, let alone pull it off.

Finally he pulled his body into a standing position, cocking at the Demon Slayer even as he panted heavily.

"Suck on that, Stripper!" he mocked, face falling when The Demon Slayer ignored him, instead walking over to the sound system and pausing the music. He gestured at Lucy, frowning at The Salamander and slouching slightly, shoulders hunched and curved while leaning back.

"Don't be so vulgar Ass Flame, we have an audience," he sighed, drooping eyes shooting a cold look to The Salamander when the pink haired dancer's eyes widened before narrowing at Lucy, arms crossing behind his head cockily.

"When did blondie get here?" he asked, though Lucy didn't think he was asking her. She wasn't sure wether to be offended or enraged by his rudeness. The shirtless man rolled his eyes again in exasperation, speaking as if to a child.

"You really do only have ash in that head of yours, don't you? She's been here from the start, or at least part way through my part," he snapped. Lucy balked a little and felt heat crawl along her face, she hadn't thought either of them had noticed her. The Salamander snorted, dropping his arms.

"You a weirdo?" he asked, Lucy frowning at him even though there was no maliciousness in his tone. He seemed more bored than anything, which actually angered Lucy even more if she thought about it.

"I am not a weirdo! I'm the new instructor, and I was exploring the studios when I heard music," Lucy huffed, trying to stop her cheeks from puffing out. She always did that when mad, and she hated it, feeling like it made her look like a child. The Salamander barked out a laugh, pointing his thumb in the direction of the other building full of studios.

"Ballet sides over there, Weirdo. Though I thought Levy and Metal Face had it covered pretty well. Not that I'd ever tell 'em," he yawned, and Lucy took a step back. How dare he brush her off like that? She was used to it at her old company, but here she expected... something different. She opened her mouth to retort - screech at- his callousness, but it seemed the other bboy beat her to it. A pale hand shot out and clipped the back of The Salamander's head, making the pink haired man stumble forward a little.

"You wanna fuckin' go, Ice Dick?" he roared, but The Devil Slayer just snarled at him before crossing his arms in front of his still bare chest.

"God, you're a real prick. She's the new hip hop teacher Makarov sniped from that Heartfilia place," he growled. The pink haired man stared blankly between the two other dancers, still not understanding. "Lucy, the girl he found to help take over Erza's spot while she's on mat leave with Jellal?" the man continued, becoming more agitated by the other's cluelessness. "Fuck, you're useless," he mumbled to himself, ignoring the murderous glare he was now receiving. Lucy couldn't help but frown at her defender. Sure, The Salamander had been rude before, but there was no reason so be so harsh with him.

The Salamander turned a critical eye towards Lucy now, looking her over carefully and sending a -pleasant- shiver along her skin. That feeling disappeared though, when the man shot her an incredulous look before speaking.

"That's Luigi?"

"My name is _Lucy_ ," she ground through her teeth, holding the disbelieving gaze of The Salamander with a glare of her own. He huffed as he looked over at The Devil Slayer, scowling. The dark haired bboy took a step towards her, ignoring his partner.

"And I'm Gray. Drama Queen over there is Natsu, and we head the breakdance and hip hop section of Fairy Tail. All teachers are seen as equal here, but people like to have a face to scream at when shit hits the fan," The Devil Slayer - Gray- had a bored tone when he spoke, but the hint of curiosity in his icy blue eyes and faint curl to his lip betrayed his cool exterior. Lucy smiled back at him, and stuck out her hand to him.

"Pleased to meet you! You two are really amazing, I used to sneak away from my company on hiphop days at competiton to watch Fairy Tail's dancers!" Gray gave her a small smile, reaching out his hand to hers when Natsu spoke up again.

"I never saw ya there," he accused, eyes narrowed. "You sure you ain't a weirdo?". Lucy's grip on Gray's hand tightened as her body clenched, his small yelp and quick tug free of her grasp going over Lucy's head as she tried to simmer the rage that pounded in her ears. Normally she was even tempered, but there was something about Natsu that struck a nerve.

"I was competing in a different category," she managed through her teeth. Why was she even arguing, Lucy should just leave and continue exploring on her own. It's not like everyone was going to like her here anyway. She made to do just that when recognition flared in Natsu's eyes. He lifted his hands and dropped a fist into his open palm in front of his chest.

"Ain't you the Heartfilia girl?" he asked, eyes wide. Lucy felt the anger drain from her in a cold rush. Before she could speak a deep groan cut in.

"Duh, Ash Brain. That's what I just said," Gray's words were soaked in a condescending tone, eyes cold when he looked at Natsu. Natsu sneered at Gray in return.

"I fuckin' know what you said, Ice Princess. I meant she was _the_ Heartfilia girl! The ballet prodigy that had been trainin' there since she was practically born," he gave her a cautious look as he turned back to face her, arms dropping to his sides. "Last I heard she had refused to dance again,".

Lucy wrung her hands on her bag strap as both boys turned inquisitive eyes on her. She shrugged her shoulders, tucking a loose strand of hair behind one ear. Gray's mouth dropped a little at her silent admission. "No fucking way. Makarov got _you_?" he said incredulously.

"It's not like I was that good," Lucy mumbled, looking at her feet. Years of yelling and echo's of cane's striking her flashed in Lucy's mind. Never good enough, always could have been better. Like her mother. A loud snort made her look up, and Natsu was giving her a disapproving frown. He walked up to her with long strides until he stood just in front of her.

"I heard you were the strongest principle dancer that they've had in years," he stated. Lucy flushed a little at the words, she had never been allowed to hear what the press had said about her.

"Tell that to my father," she said bluntly, a dull smile pulling at her lips. Her joke only caused Natsu to frown more and he leaned forward into her personal bubble. She held her ground though, blinking as she looked up at him. His defensiveness had long since melted away, instead a childlike curiosity could be read from his body language as he looked at her now.

"I knew you didn't look hip hop," he mused lowly, thinking out loud. Lucy once more felt any easiness that she had started to grow in his presence disintegrate, shoulders tensing and eye's narrowing. "Not scary at all like Erza," he finished, leaving Lucy more confused than offended. Had that been a ... compliment? She looked up at him in question, and he rolled his eyes with a smirk, as though it should have been obvious. "Erza is all muscle and looks like she could punch a mountain in half," he said, a small shiver of terror making him twitch as he thought about her. Lucy couldn't help but be worried as well at the true fear in his eyes when Natsu spoke.

Warmth encircled her wrist, and Lucy looked down in surprise to see that Natsu had grabbed it. He slowly brought it up between their faces, where Lucy could clearly see his fingers overlapping around her thin joint. "You don't exactly instill that kinda fear with a delicate body like yours," he said simply and Lucy blinked up at him as she processed his words. So her body was wrong, huh? Before her mind could stop her tongue the words slipped out, voice emotionless as she had been taught growing up.

"I didn't have the right body for ballet, either,".

His eyes widened by a fraction at her statement, grip tightening around her wrist. His voice was low, more serious than Lucy had seen him up to this point. "I never said there was anything wrong with your body,". He stepped closer into her space, chests brushing against the other's as they breathed. A small curl appeared on his lips as his eyes slowly raked over her body, the unsettled look in his dark eyes melting into an impish glow. "I just wanna make sure it gets the job done," he said smoothly.

Heat exploded across Lucy's face at his words. She felt herself leaning forward against his chest, being drawn in without her permission. She wet her suddenly dry lips, breath catching in her chest when Natsu's eyes flicked to her mouth at the quick motion. "And how do you plan on finding ou-" Lucy started to ask, voice high and breathy before she was interrupted.

"Oh god I don't know whether to laugh or gag,".

Gray's voice was full of disgust, upper lip pulled up in a sneer as he looked over Lucy and Natsu. Lucy squeaked, reminded of their company and took a step back from Natsu, yanking her wrist out of his firm grip. Natsu glared at the other man, facial expression morphing to match the antagonistic one his friend wore.

"Fuck you goin' on about over there, Frosty?" he snapped, arms crossing over his chest. Gray rolled his eyes and lifted both of his arms to fall behind his head, chest puffed out in challenge. He scoffed before speaking, attention focused on Lucy as he drawled.

"I can't believe you'd fall for Fire Breath and his neg like that, pegged you as the smart type,". Lucy turned her eyes to Natsu in apprehension, had he really been playing her with a neg? He had seemed too blunt and open, but it wouldn't be the first time Lucy had overestimated a guy's niceness. The look of pure confusion and irritation on Natsu's face brushed away any of the doubts Gray's words had brought though. He clearly had no idea what was going on.

"Not that I give a crap 'bout your opinion, Freezer Burn, but what the hell are you talking about?" he snarled, eyes fiery as he squared his body in Gray's direction.

"You need to stop going to Loke for flirting advice, insulting a girl and then trying to pick her up is going to get you bitch slapped one day. Actually never mind, I'd love to see that happen," Gray said in a dull tone, eyes lighting up when he thought of Natsu getting hit. Natsu sputtered, face turning a deep red as his head whipped back and forth between Lucy and Gray.

"I - I wasn't tryin' to _hit on_ her! I mean, it's not that I _wouldn't_ , not that I'd _want_ to but... We have a reputation to uphold and I don't want no new girl pullin' us down, not that I think you _wou_ -" he rambled, words coming out faster the more he talked and hand movements becoming wild. Lucy kind of thought it was endearing -that and he wasn't trying to say that he _wasn't_ interested in her- while Gray broke out in a loud fit of laughter. He even doubled over, clutching at his stomach his body was shaking so heavily.

"Oh, oh fuck you've gotta be shiiting me! You mean yo-you _weren't_ trying to get with her? You're really that much of a dickhead? Oh god, even I thought you were smarter than that!" he howled, large smile and cruel glimmer in his eye as he fully straightened his body. He wiped at a tear, and Lucy felt a strange protectiveness swell up for Natsu, stepping forward so her body was physically in between them. As angry as Natsu looked, Lucy could plainly see the embarrassment and awkwardness in the way he held his shoulders and the pinch in his lips.

"You don't need to be so mean!" Lucy chided, hands coming to rest on her hips as she spoke. "It's a fair thing to be concerned about, even if Natsu did deliver it... strangely. But he wasn't trying to be cruel or demeaning, unlike you," she said, nose turned up a little as she finished and tone scathing. Great, she had just lectured the guy who had stood up for her and been blatantly underestimated by the other one. So much for making friends at her new job. She was almost afraid to look Gray in the eye, mentally preparing herself for his disdain and sneering grin he usually directed at Natsu to be focused on her. Instead though, she saw a spark of admiration mix with shock in his blue eyes, a thoughtful smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth before his face fell into a bored expression.

"So newbie's got some balls," he said, a hint of a smile still in his voice. A heavy weight fell across her shoulder, and she looked up to see that Natsu had thrown his arm over her and was pulling her into the side of his chest. His shoulders were thrown back again, a cocky aura radiating off of him as he smirked at Gray.

"Yeah, and she's on _my_ team!" he taunted, looking down at Lucy with pride in his eyes. It was unbelievable, he had just been questioning all of her abilities a few seconds ago and now he was acting like her best friend? Nuh uh, that crap didn't fly with Lucy. She pushed away from him, ignoring the questioning pout as she returned a healthy amount of space between their bodies.

"What the hell makes you think _that_?" she bit out, "I thought I wasn't strong enough in hip hop or some other stupid thing?". Natsu looked baffled again, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked at her.

"I never said that," he said slowly, looking at Lucy like she was crazy. Well she wasn't the crazy one here! It was him, and his stupid pink fluffy hair and strong jawline.

"Yeah, ya did fucktard," Gray chimed in, rolling his eyes when Natsu bared his teeth at him. Like an animal. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if anyone was normal in Fairy Tail if these two were head teachers. She was saved from thinking about it too long when understanding set in Natsu's eyes again, his face turning to smile at her brightly as he spoke.

"Oh! Nah, I meant that you don't look scary!" he shrugged as if that explained everything. It did not for Lucy, and she sputtered when he reached out to her again and pulled her back into his side.

"Why do you even want me on your 'team'? You said yourself you've never seen me dance! What if you don't think I'm any good?" she squeaked out, voice higher than she was happy with. Natsu blinked down at her a few times, smile shrinking a bit so that it was now a soft grin rather than a heart melting beam.

"I want ya on my team cus you're nice, Luce!," he answered easily, not noticing the light blush that spread across Lucy's cheeks and ears. "And if Gramps thinks you're a good dancer then you probably are,". He said it so matter-of-factly, that it made Lucy question him. There was no way someone with his swagger in dance - and his level of hotness- could truly be so innocent.

"Gag. I'm definitely going to gag," Gray said flatly. Natsu huffed through his nose at the dark haired dancer's monotone statement.

"Ignore him, Ice Baby's cranky 'cus he hasn't gotten his smoke break yet," Natsu brushed off Gray's insult easily, even if a light pink spread across the tops of his ears and blended with his spiky hair. His eyes light up suddenly and shifted away from Lucy to narrow at Gray, sly grin revealing a pointed canine. "And he's gonna be even more pissy when musical theatre class lets out in three, two, one...". An evil snigger sounded in Natsu's throat when Gray's eyes went wide, glancing hurriedly at the clock above the mirrors.

"Shit shit shit, fucking shit, we were supposed to be done fucking five minutes ago son of a _bi_ -," Gray frantically swore as he rushed to grab his black duffel bag, Devil Slayer scrawled largely along the side in silvery blue. Lucy looked up at Natsu to see if maybe something would make sense, but his snigger had turned into a full blown cackle as he watched Gray panic. His arm remained tight around Lucy's shoulders, and both watched as Gray ran from the room without so much as a wave. Lucy watched through the large glass window as Gray frantically looked from side to side, face paling even more when he found whatever he apparently didn't want to, freezing in his spot before bolting in the opposite direction of whatever was at the end of the hallway.

"Gray-sama! Juvia is free to be with you again, my love!" a high voice called from the direction that Gray was fleeing from, the athletic form of a young woman running by the open door and window, oblivious to her audience. Loose blue curls fell over her shoulders, bare from her black sport bra and long blue skirt outfit. Lucy caught the glimpse of stage heels as the woman ran by, and looked up at Natsu again in search of an answer. Really, anything at all would be helpful at this point.

"She's harmless, really," Natsu shrugged off her concerned look, bored tone showing that he was done with any talk of Gray. Lucy pretended not to notice his mumbled follow up of 'I think', deciding that Master Makarov wouldn't allow someone that was a danger to his dancers to remain in the company. Lucy looked back out the window, smiling to herself at her strange new family, fresh excitement bubbling in her stomach as she thought about everyone she had yet to meet. A cough above her drew her attention back to Natsu and she looked up to see him scratching the back of his neck.

"I guess I probably _should_ see you dance at some point," Natsu said in forced easiness, hand moving to fidget with the scarf tied around his forehead and unwrap it. Wild bangs were revealed, tips curling gently from Natsu's sweat and he wrapped the scarf os it was around his neck now. "You know, so I have an idea of what style your like," he explained quickly. Lucy gave him a soft smile when she realized that he was trying to make sure he wasn't questioning her abilities again. Her head tilted a little and her smile became less sure when she saw Natsu swallow hard, emerald eyes widening as they continued to stare at Lucy. Giggling gently at his strange behaviour, Lucy felt a soft heat crawl along her neck at the shy grin that slowly pulled at Natsu's lips and she ducked from under his arm.

"Sure," she said simply. Steadying her breathing Lucy walked in the direction of the sound system, rummaging through her duffel bag until she found her iPhone and letting the bag fall with a dull thump. She disconnected the beat up iPod from the jack, replacing it with her own and scrolling through her playlist until she found the song she wanted.

A remix of _Yonce_ by Beyonce boomed through the studio, Lucy centering herself as she got ready to perform, she hadn't actually showed anyone this routine yet. She looked over her shoulder at Natsu, who was now leaning against the mirror and had raised an eyebrow at her song choice. Walking slowly on the beat Lucy made her way to the center of the room, eyes holding Natsu's hooded ones. A grin was growing on her face as she watched Natsu's eyes flicker to her hips as they swayed to the opening beats, arms crossing over his chest as he followed her with intensity. Lucy got ready for the first verse, hair flicking over her shoulder with a sharp movement, suggestive grin returned by Natsu when she looked at him again.

She had to show him what her body could do, after all.

She wasn't a Fairy Tail dancer for nothing.

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 **A/N; Hello my lovely readers! So this is going to be where I put requests, and each chapter title is going to be the name of the fic :D if it has a name lol.**

 **As the rating, genre, and pair of each fic can possibly be different each will start with it's own mini A/N! Yay! Any extra comments will be at the bottom as always.**

 **Check out my tumblr for the songs I thought about while making this and breakdance examples :p**


	2. Things You Said While I Was Crying

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Canon angst, T**

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Lucy didn't know what to do.

She was here standing in front of Natsu, both staring each other down like a stranger that had recently offended them. She couldn't believe what she had heard. She wasn't even supposed to have heard it. Natsu and Happy had both finally come back after - recklessly, stupidly, _mind-boggingly self centered-_ charging at Zeref. Natsu hadn't said anything, only going to the back of the Guild alone and leaving Happy to give a brief summary that Natsu hadn't been able to defeat Zeref, and Happy had had to drag the dragon-slayer away kicking and screaming before he could charge the dark wizard again.

Lucy hadn't believed the blue cat.

Well, she believed part of what Happy had said, but she knew the exceed too well. He was holding something back.

And Lucy wasn't in the mood.

People had been screaming at her when she revealed that Brandish had attacked her, even if she kept what had saved her to herself. She had still felt numb when she had watched Natsu walk through the front doors, new scar on his cheek adding to his ever-growing collection. Aquarius had come back to save her. The water spirit claimed that it was only because Brandish had been spreading lies about Layla and her key, quickly setting the record straight about what had _really_ happened. Things that Lucy had now shoved to the back of her head, but at the time had almost blocked out Aquaris's kind eyes and soft tone when she had spoken to Lucy.

 _"Listen, you spoiled brat. You can't count on me to save your ass again, got it? I had to beg with the Spirit King to allow me to set the record straight with Cross Horns over there, and that's it. When you sacrificed my key you broke your contract with me. And my ability to ever form a contract again. Not like that'll stop me from going on dates with my boyfriend here, you even got one yet? Of course you don't, too busy with your fancy magazine job. Hey, don't cry. You've gotten stronger you know, you probably might even be able to win a fight without my help one of these days. Layla would be so proud, I don't know why though. I won't be able to see you again. I'll miss you, Lucy."_

Aquarius had spoken while Lucy hugged her waist, the mermaid's harsh words spoken in a kind tone, even teasing a little. None of the hostility Lucy had grown accustomed to, and it made her sob all the harder as her beloved spirit hugged her back at the end. Her gentle words of praise had been left floating in the air as she disintegrated back into light, the remnants of the golden key dissolving as well.

That was how Cana had found them when she had finally broken down the door. Lucy was sitting against the wall, tears still slipping down her cheeks, and Brandish sitting in the middle of the room, face blank from the information Aquarius had left them with. Lucy couldn't even remember what she had told people when they asked what had happened, but whatever it was it had been enough for Cana to grab her by the arms and shake her violently. She knew she hadn't said anything about Aquarius though, she hadn't even told them about the first time she had sacrificed one of her golden keys.

The longer time went on, the harder it was to feel like there was a good time to say it. Everyone had their own problems to deal with.

Which is why she had gone for a walk when Natsu had come back and blown right by her without so much of a glance at the blonde.

And that was how Lucy had ended up walking past their room as Happy began shouting that Natsu needed to tell everyone what had happened. What had _really_ happened, and what Zeref had said. Natsu had responded by yelling that he would deal with it himself and for Happy to drop it. That's when Lucy had kicked in the door, fuming as she walked over to Natsu.

 _'Tell me,'_ she had demanded. Natsu had just crossed his arms over his chest and accused her of listening in on them. Lucy had felt her face urn into a scowl, cool rage building in her chest. Why were they keeping her out of the loop? Was she not their partner anymore? Didn't they trust her? Weren't they a _team_?

And that was what brought them to right now, Happy fluttering around their heads, lips twitching from holding back the tears forming in his large eyes.

And Lucy didn't know what to do.

"Natsu Dragneel, you tell me right now or-" Lucy began but was quickly cut off buy Natsu.

"Or what, Lucy?" he spat harshly, glare cutting into her soul and making her blink back tears of her own. He had never spoken to her that way, the shadow of a threat lacing his voice. She just couldn't understand why he was pushing her away. Why he had kept his distance even after he stumbled across her path in Crocus. Sure, they had been physically close, but Natsu had kept up barriers Lucy had never known with him. Maybe some of those were her fault, and really she didn't blame him for leaving a year ago. No matter if she still woke up and needed to triple check he was still with her. That he hadn't left in the middle of the night, not even leaving a letter this time.

Her hands shook in anger as she slowly walked towards him, coming to stand close enough so that she could see the small tremble in his lip, the fear hidden deep behind the anger and thick walls of his green eyes. Even after all this hurt Lucy still knew him better than he thought she did.

She raised her hands and cupped his face, bringing his face down so that their foreheads touched. She watched the resolve in his eyes harden before fracturing slightly, his inner battle becoming too much even for him. "Why don't you trust me, Natsu?" she whispered into their shared breath, thumb skimming his cheek when his breath caught at her words.

"What're yo-" he started to voice, but Lucy just shook her head at him.

"You know what I mean, Natsu. You don't trust me. You don't think I'm strong enough," Lucy said softly, a sad smile twisting her lips. Natsu hands shot up and gripped her wrists, pulling her closer.

"Of course I think you're strong Luce! How could you ever doubt that?" Natsu practically shouted the words, confusion breaking through his wall. Lucy shook her head again, and felt her eyes sting as she spoke again.

"You don't think I'm strong enough for you to lean on," Lucy said calmly, and Natsu opened his mouth to disagree again but Lucy continued on. "You always go off on your own plan, trying to take on all of your battles by yourself. You leave me behind in your dust, either waiting for you to come back or chasing after you. I know what happened to Igneel Natsu. Yet you never talked to me about it," Lucy pasued, letting her words sink in, her thumb still rubbing back and forth across his hot skin. "I could have been there for you Natsu. I'm your bestfriend, it's what I'm there for. Not just to laugh and play with, but someone you can lean on when you can't stand alone anymore. But you didn't give me that chance, you didn't _trust_ me to. I know talking isn't your strong suit, or what you do. But even if you just needed someone to hold you, or to listen while you talked about memories," Lucy closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a few seconds, trying to regain her composure. She pulled away from him, releasing her hold on his jaw as she stepped back. Natsu didn't let go of her wrists though, and followed after her a step.

"I just don't know why, Natsu. We're supposed to be a team. What did I do to lose it? Or did I just never have it to begin with…" Lucy asked, keeping her eyes closed. She couldn't bare to see the guilt on his face, the regret as he pulled away and put his wall back up. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if she had thought they were closer than what was true, if she had been expecting a level of intimacy that they weren't at. Natsu's grip on her wrists tightened, the shaking in his large hands prompted her to open her eyes. Horror struck her as she looked deep into Natsu's eyes, the brght green made murky by the tears pouring down his cheeks. Without thinking Lucy was pulling him close to her, the pair sinking down to the floor as he cried.

Lucy cooed and stroked his hair as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping around her as though she was his rock. He kept muttering about how he was supposed to protect _her_ , and that she was strong enough, oh she was so strong in every way, but Natsu was the weak one. Unable to face her. Needing to make sure he didn't lose anyone else. Not let himself get close enough. Lucy whispered words of encouragement as she buried his face in his dirty hair, how he was the strongest person she had ever met, that she was there for him, he didn't need to share right now if he couldn't. He buried his face deeper into her shoulder at that, grip becoming bruising as he held her closer.

"It's okay, Natsu. I'm here. I'll always be here for you. I promise".

* * *

 _"YOU PROMISED" he screamed, having to be held back by Gray and Gajeel, both boys with tears of their own. Lucy was surrounded by light, pulsing as she gave it all of her magic. All of her Love. She gave Natsu a watery smile as he continued to struggle, she knew she was fading. But it would end this, and everyone would be free. The war would be over, Mavis and Zeref would be freed from their curse, and Fairy Tail would be saved. Natsu would be saved._

 _"It's okay, Natsu. I'll always be with you. Just look to the stars," and with that, blinding light erupted from Lucy's chest and eyes, a giant sweeping arc of golden magic running over everyone. As the people blinked the spots from their eyes, Natsu finally broke free and ran desperately to where Lucy had once been. He grasped at the glittering dust floating upwards, bringing his fists to his chest and collapsing to his knees, forehead pushing into the ground.  
_

 _Tears made the dirt turn to mud under his face, sobs racking him as his whole body shook. He could have sworn he heard her gentle voice whisper into his ear, warmth and peace filling his heart even as it shattered and disappeared with the last of her sparkles. Her light._

 _'I promise'_

* * *

 **A/N; so this got angsty and more than a mini-fic. Whoops. There's always debate in this fandom of whose's in the wrong when it come's to Natsu going away for a year, and I think this gives a little bit of my thoughts. Natsu had every right to go off own his own and heal his own way. Lucy had every right to feel like Natsu left her behind, and to be hurt by it. Aren't you hurt when something you think is your best friend doesn't trust you to support and be there for them? Don't you feel like you just have to deal with something by yourself? (although I'm still ticked he took Happy and left Lucy. I think that would hurt me the most. It wasn't just that Natsu left her, it was that her team didn't need her) ANyway I have major feels about that and the latest chapter and JFC THESE DORKS NEED TO TALK AND OPEN AND CRY WITH EACHOTHER. So this happened. :D**


	3. Things You Said After You Kissed Me

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating; Canon smutish, T**

* * *

Natsu's hands moved roughly through her hair, her own fingers clawing down his bare back in response to his tugs. He moaned low in his throat as her nails left marks in his scarred skin, but the sound was swallowed by her own mouth. It was dampened by her tongue running over his, lost in the heat of Natsu pulling at her lower lip with his teeth, completely and utterly drowned out by the feeling of their hearts beating as one, tangled in each others bodies and wrestling mouths.

Lucy never wanted to leave his embrace.

One of his hands untangled from her golden strands, tracing down the side of her face and neck before settling on her breast. She had lost her shirt somewhere in the living room, and now she was pinned against her bedroom door, so close to the bed and yet Lucy had no desire to move. Neither did Natsu apparently, as he gave her chest a rough squeeze and dropped his hand to her thigh. He hooked a calloused hand under and yanked it up with one smooth motion, running his hand along the sensitive skin of the back of her thigh. He continued upward underneath her skirt, fingers burning away her lace underwear and groping her ass harshly. The massaging motion of his hand made Lucy's head tilt back against the wood, Natsu nibbling on her pulse point as she let out a needy cry and her leg tightened around his waist.

Lucy pulled at his scarf, unwinding the scaly material from his neck. She ran her hands over the strong muscles of his upper back and shoulders, pulling his hips against hers with her leg when he chuckled darkly at her wandering hands. Natsu let out a low growl that made Lucy want to melt and pulled at her hair harder, but now it was Lucy's turn to smirk.

"All fired up, Natsu?" Lucy purred as she rolled her hips against the hardness she felt pressing into her hipbone, Natsu grinding into her automatically from her teasing. He pulled back panting, and licked his lower lip. His eyes pierced her to the door, dark onyx wild and sharp, reminding Lucy of how much of a dragon Natsu truly was. His hungry gaze never left her face as he spoke, husky voice making Lucy whimper and bite at her lip.

"You _are_ my fire, Luce," Natsu said lowly into the air between them. He removed his other hand from her hair now, resting it tenderly along the column of her neck and using his thumb to tilt her face up towards him more. "And ya know how much I love to _eat_ fire," he whispered, a smirk pulling at his lips and revealing his pointed canines before his mouth reclaimed hers. Lucy was now the one pulling at his hair, pink strands twisting around her delicate fingers as she tried to pull him closer and push him away at the same time. Her mouth left his finally, leaving butterfly kisses along his cheekbones, his nose, his eyeslids. She nuzzled into the scar on his cheek too, before dropping her face into the crook of his neck and dragging her tongue up the length of his throat. That earned another rough squeeze of her ass and low growl from Natsu. She pushed her core against his hardness, Natsu's hips jumping and crushing her against the door at the friction.

A raspy chuckle resonated in the air around them, and Lucy lifted her other leg to wrap around his waist as well. Natsu released his hold of her neck, moving to push them off the door and to rest against the skin of Lucy's lower back, heat searing into her creamy flesh. Natsu walked towards the large bed in the middle of their room, four poster frame and deep red sheets - soon to be messed-. Lucy couldn't help the grin that pulled at her mouth, excitement and anticipation making her giddy.

Natsu looked down at her when she pulled back, fondness dulling the wolfish gleam but not the passion in his eyes. Lucy's voice was steady and ardent as she spoke to Natsu before he dropped her onto the bed, arms and body caging her as his tongue dominated her mouth again.

"You're my fire too, Natsu,"

* * *

 **A/N; Yeeee make out! Even if it is a bit short lol**


	4. Things I Wasn't Meant To Hear

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU, T**

* * *

Natsu felt like a stalker.

Now, he didn't have a lot of personal boundaries, especially when it came to a certain blonde over brown-eyed girl. He would barge into her room without knocking, take showers and use her pretty smelling soaps whether she was home or not, or sometimes even sleep in her bed when he was waiting for her to come home. Hey, not his fault she had the comfiest, best smelling bed in the world.

But sitting outside her window with his back against the side of her small house in the middle of the night was a new low.

He scrubbed at his face with his palms, stretching out his legs. He didn't know how long he had been sitting out here for, but his thighs were starting to ache with lack of movement. He would have waited inside like usual, but him and Lucy had had a fight earlier. It had been over something stupid, about Natsu not listening or supporting her. Which was bullshit. Natsu would always cheer for Lucy when it came to being published or one of her ribbon competitions. Hell he would throw her to the stars if that was what she wanted. What Natsu drew the line at was helping her pick out a revealing outfit for one of the dates she went on.

What did he care if Lucy choose low cut tops that showed her tone stomach, or short skirts that counted more as a belt than anything. It was her body, and Natsu was happy she had enough confidence to flaunt it the way she did. What he _didn't_ like was the leers the gross perverts gave to her. The words he heard whispered in hushed tones when her back was turned, the hungry gazes that stalked her wherever she went. He hated it. Wanted to punch every gross ass in the face. Lucy would kill him though, claim he didn't think she was strong enough to deal with them on her own. Which again, was bullshit.

Natsu fumed and glared into the dark bush in front of him as he thought about Lucy's short tone when she kicked him out. _If you're not going to be helpful I don't see why you have to be here._ Her words had hurt, more than Natsu cared to think about, and he left in silence. He had gone to the local pub for a bit, more for the noise to fill his silence than the alcohol. He didn't feel like drinking in this mood. He wondered if Lucy was drinking with her _date_.

His mouth pulled into a sneer as he thought about the boy who had asked her out. John, or Josh, maybe Jayden? Or was it Matt? Whatever his name was he was apparently in Lucy's creative writing class. Total book worm, was on the debate team, the rowing team, liked dogs, liked candies, was sweet, thoughtful, poilte. He rolled his eyes at how much he knew about this guy, laughing ruefully to himself at how wrong Lucy was. Just 'cus he didn't care didn't mean he wasn't listening. His mood plummeted again when he recalled the other word Lucy had used to describe him. _Perfect_.

He was everything Natsu wasn't. Lucy was looking for her knight in shining armour, seemingly wrapped in the shell of a fit, smart, gentlemanly university student. Natsu was the big bad dragon training to be a fire fighter.

And everyone knew the dragon didn't get the princess.

Natsu didn't know when he had realized he liked Lucy as more than a friend, but it had been a while ago. He had tried to let it go, ignore it, force himself to like other girls, but nothing worked. Eventually he had gotten used to the prick in his heart when Lucy gushed about some other boy, or the flutter his stomach gave when Lucy threw herself at him in a bear hug. He knew he wasn't what she wanted, and would be content to be her best friend. If he hadn't fucked that up too.

Sounds came for her small rental house, and Natsu stiffened. Did he really want to hear what would happen if Lucy had invited what-his-face inside? His face screwed up when he considered that option. Natsu hadn't actually thought before coming here, had only wanted to be with Lucy and figured being a creepy stalker outside her window was going to be the best he could get tonight.

Yeah, 'cus that made it sound better.

He stayed in his spot though, a sick curiosity rooting him to the spot outside her open window. Lucy really needed to start locking that.

"Nastu?" came the gentle call, her voice floating into the night air and setting Natsu's nerves on edge. Her sigh - was there a hint of sadness there?- soothed his nerves, so she didn't know he was there. And it sounded like she had come home alone. Natsu tried to squash the elated feeling in his chest, knowing he should have hoped for her date to go well. It didn't matter his feelings, so long as she was happy. He _was_ her best friend after all. Natsu tried to think off a way he could sneak away without being caught, but Lucy's voice drew his attention back.

"Hey Levy. Yes I am aware it's 10 pm. Yeah, I know it's early for a Friday night," Lucy said softly, rustling noises sounding through the window. "No Lev, the date was fine," Lucy said, but Natsu knew her better. Her tone was disappointed but resigned. Like she knew it wasn't going to amount to anything. It seemed Levy did too, as Lucy let out a rueful laugh before speaking again. "I know. He _was_ perfect Lev, it's, it's just that, ahh," Lucy trailed off before sucking in a breath and continuing.

"There was no spark Levy. He was nice enough, and the restaurant was beautiful, but something was missing. I didn't actually laugh the entire time, or forget where I was. When he kissed my cheek goodnight-" Natsu straightened his back at that, listening closer now. He had kissed her? Natsu tried to muffle the jealously raging in his chest, Lucy had said so herself that she felt nothing for writer-boy. "-I didn't even blush," Lucy finished tiredly. The silence on her end of the conversation was filled with soft noises, Natsu thinking it was fabric scraping on fabric. Was she undressing…

"I know I was excited Levy. Uh huh. Yes, I know this happens every time. Lev, listen to me _I know_. I am _not_ sabotaging myself!" The last comment was indignant, but also held a note of guilt. Natsu sucked in a breath as quietly as he could, his chest starting to ache from lack of breath. He should really leave. This was wrong, he wasn't supposed to hear thi- "Levy I understand that there's no guy like Natsu,".

Natsu froze. How was he supposed to leave after hearing something like that? His heart was beating painfully in his chest, hope making him want to throw up. "How many times do I have to tell you he doesn't like me like that," her tone was definitely sad now, anger filtering through her words as well. "Is it so wrong I want something more than a friendship? That I want to be held by a guy and know I'm special to him?" More silence filled after her words, the hope fading as quickly as it had built up. Did she not view him in that way? Then why had she made that comment before?

"I-I'm not special to Natsu, Levy. At least, not in that way," her voice was small, whispering more to herself than to her friend. Natsu had to cover his mouth to stop himself from snorting at her comment. And people said _he_ was the blind one. But that meant that Lucy _wanted_ to be special to Natsu, and his heart soared.

"He's just a really sweet guy Levy. You see how awesome he is when they have the kids day at the firehouse, and how he treats animals. Natsu doesn't have a cruel strand of pink hair on his body. Oh his hair is _too_ pink and he can shove it with the 'salmon' nonsense. Salmon _is_ pink," Lucy was giggling now, her voice taking on the dreamy quality it had when she talked about her fantasy books. Natsu realized that in all of the time she had rambled about her dates, she had never once described them with that tone. Natsu had zoned out in his epiphany, and listened back in part way through her sentence. "-nd he always walks around practically naked Lev! Do you know how hard it is _not_ to jump him when he walks around in just a towel for the next hour? Oh he does _not_ do it on purpose, there's no way Natsu isn't that dense. Levy, I have _changed_ in front of him without him batting an eye," a loud thump sounded from the room, and Natsu strained to hear the rest of what she was saying. He was thankful for the cool air tonight, his face had never been this hot before. "I'm pretty sure I have the same amount of sex appeal to Natsu as a piece of wood," her voice was muffled, and Natsu sniggered to himself as he imagined her face down on her bed. Lucy always was over dramatic. And very, _very,_ wrong.

Her voice was clearer when she spoke again, still too far for Natsu to hear without straining for it. "Yeah, I think I'll head to bed. Night Lev, and yeah I'll talk to you more tomorrow," her voice held that fake happiness Natsu hated, the one that Lucy used when she didn't want people to know she wasn't okay. But she wouldn't have to keep it up for long. Natsu had a plan.

Natsu finally crawled away from his creeper position, walking home with a whistle on his lips. He'd crash by her place in the morning, maybe take her out for breakfast. Or kiss her. It would have to depend on her mood, and Natsu's smile continued to grow.

Tonight had gone _much_ better than he could have hoped for.

* * *

 **A/N; So this turned into word vomit. Yayyyy. Sorry this took so long, I had to work on WHIPS and some other requests I received! But tada! I wasn't sure if I wanted angst or fluff, and then this popped out.**


	5. Matching Outfits Are A Bad Idea

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Future!Canon Fluff; K**

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know which is which?"

"They were crawling around and playing in the living room and then I turned my back and they had taken off their headbands!"

"Did you call their names?"

"Natsu Dragneel they are _five months old_ they aren't even supposed to be _crawling_ yet. Of course they don't know their own names."

Natsu shrank under Lucy's glare, both parents reluctantly looking back at the pair of twin girls staring back up at them. Both had wild tufts of pink hair and large brown eyes, chubby cheeks and a constant smile that Lucy and Natsu fawned over but the rest of the guild recognized as imp-like deviousness. Gray swore that they were plotting world domination already, with their father's energy and confrontational attitude and their mother's sly intelligence. Makarov was silently thankful he would be dead before he had to see how much the guild was going to be charged by their destructive tendencies. Laxus was not.

Now though, they were looking at their parents in utter confusion, the truly angry and worried tone new in their home. Lucy and Natsu usually did nothing more than playfully bicker, and both sturggled to hide their growing anxiety so as to not upset their children. God knew Lucy only needed to add crying twins to her frayed nerves. Natsu claimed they got Lucy's lungs, Lucy blamed Natsu for their bottomless energy and need for attention.

"This wouldn't be an issue if they hadn't inherited your stupid advanced physical abilities. I'm just waiting for our house to go up in flames at this point." Lucy grumbled, strands falling from her high bun and lower lip being worried as she stared at her -adorable, perfect, god damn exhausting- children. Natsu snorted, chest puffing out in pride at her complement, even if she hadn't meant it as such.

"Well they got your smarts, Luce. They probably _do_ know their names," Natsu said easily, squatting and ignoring Lucy's huff above him so that he was at eye level with his girls. "Mitsu, Tatsu, can you look at daddy?" At Natsu's call both girls focused on Natsu, nonsensical and happy noises coming from the pair at their father's attention. Natsu turned his head up at Lucy, beaming.

"See! They got their mommy's brain and their daddy's brawn! Our kids are gonna kick some serious ass Luce," Natsu turned back to Mitsu and Tatsu, once again ignoring his wife's call of 'language'. He outstretched his arms to the pair, voice softening and sing song as he spoke. "Now Tatsu, can you come to Daddy, my lil'dragon? Mitsu needs to stay where she is though." Natsu said sternly, both girls moving their heads in a serious manner, Lucy's heart melting as she watched the scene. She then snorted in humorless amusement as both of them crawled towards Natsu and his arms fell in defeat. He scooped up each girl in one arm, standing tiredly as they tugged at his hair and made more noises, almost as if they were speaking to one another.

"I knew dressing them in matching outfits was a bad idea." Lucy sighed, hand rubbing at her temple before offering her fingers to Tatsu's outstretched hand. Or Mitsu. Oh god she didn't know anymore. Either way, she was unable to fight back the small smile that grew on her face as one of her children wrapped their tiny hand around her finger, strong grip already.

"But they look so cute," Natsu whined, gaze adoring as he looked between the small girls in his arms, matching green dresses with white stars and frilled bottoms. A white headband and a green headband laid on the floor before them, now useless.

"You were just competing with Gajeel because their entire family wore matching outfits and I refused to dress up in those horrible sweaters." Lucy said as she rolled her eyes, taking one child from Natsu and settling her on Lucy's hips, the little girl gripping at Lucy's shirt. It was their feeding time soon.

"They have four kids with triplets. We can't lose to them, or Ice Prick-incess," Natsu said flatly, eyes serious even as he corrected himself under Lucy's stern look.

"It is not a _competition_ Natsu." Lucy lectured dully, moving her mouth along mockingly when she heard him mumble 'still can't lose' to the daughter in his arms. She sighed heavily, tears pricking her eyes and making her sniff as she looked over the five month old in her arms. "What kind of mother can't even tell her children apart," Lucy whispered to herself, laughing wetly when her daughter cooed in concern and patted her hand on Lucy's cheek where a tear track had formed.

"You're an amazing mother, Lucy." Natsu said in a low voice, eyes deadly serious as he moved closer and wrapped his free arm around her waist. Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder and gave him an uncertain smile, wiping away the few more tears that had escaped. "They're identical twins. It's 'posed to be impossible to tell the difference, at least until their personalities come through more." he continued, voice soothing and calming Lucy before she had a breakdown. She was just so _tired._ Lucy only wanted to be a good mother like Layla had been for her and like their girls deserved, and this latest episode was making her question if she was cut out. Did all moms dream about locking themselves in the bathroom for a good three day bath? Lucy didn't think so, and her lower lip began to tremble again.

That is, until the girl in her arms tugged on her ear, babbling in an upset tone as she pressed both of her hands to Lucy's cheeks, trying to grab at her face. Lucy couldn't help but flashback to Natsu forcing her cheeks into a smile and laughter bubbled over as Lucy leaned her forehead against her daughter's. Natsu stood frozen, eyeing his wife warily as she flipped moods over and over. He couldn't wait until whatever weird hormones pregnancy had left in Lucy returned to normal. He wanted his old weird Lucy back, this weirdness was more prone to crying than he liked. Lucy should never cry, especially about thinking she was a bad mother.

Lucy didn't notice Natsu's troubled look, instead focusing on how her laugh made the little girl in her arms eyes light up, excited noises replacing her distraught ones from before.

"My babies are full of personality, aren't you sweetie?" she hummed, bouncing her daughter on her hip. She was also mildly impressed with how much information Natsu had retained from all those baby books Lucy had made him read. She smiled brightly up at him as her heart burst with love for her family, eyes growing wide as a thought struck her. She looked back at her daughter, ignoring Natsu's nervous smile as she spoke. "You and your sister already have personalities, don't you honey? Yes you do, my precious little girls you!"

Natsu visibly jumped back when Lucy barked his name, watching her with a hint of fear as she walked back to the living room where their daughters' playpen was. He followed after her, placing the girl in his arms next to his other daughter, who Lucy had put down already. The twins now seemed bored with their parents, turning and exploring the multitude of stuffed animals and noise making toys Natsu and Lucy had bough, along with the guild.

"Umm, Luce?" Natsu started uncertainty, eyeing his wife cautiously. She had that glint in her eye that meant she had a plan and -while normally Natsu would be cackling and encouraging whatever she was planning- he wasn't sure if Lucy should be skeming right now.

"Tatsu likes to explore more, I always have to stop her from pitching over the edge of her crib or getting through the baby gate," Lucy explained absently, looking through the girls' toys as she spoke. "Mitsu likes to play with things, like my keys or her animals." Lucy made a triumphant sound as she found the replica key ring Gajeel had made for her, all of Lucy's spirits shown all the jingly toy. Natsu smiled in delighted pride as he watched Lucy open up the pen, one of his daughter's heads turning automatically at the sound. The other girl was playing with a stuffed dragon, tiny hands squeezing it before bouncing it on the floor a few times and then hugging it. She was also watching Lucy jingle the keys with growing interest, even as she played with her dragon.

"There's my little star!" Natsu cooed, picking up the girl with the stuffed dragon. Mitsu gurgled happily as she nawed on the wing of her dragon. Natsu had named the stuffed grey toy Metalicana, and each of the dragon slayers' parents had a stuffed animal in their honour, with two Igneels so each girl had one. Lucy bent and picked up Tatsu, who had immediately tried to crawl from the pen and explore the house, bound to end up somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

Lucy walked to the headbands on the floor, placing the green one on Tatsu and walking over to Natsu to place the white on Mitsu. "There," she said with a hint of smugness, more relief than anything in her tone. Natsu laughed at his wife's heavy exhale of breath, nudging her with his shoulder and sneaking a kiss when she looked at him. Lucy rested her weight against Natsu's chest, tucking her head under his chin as they both gazed at their daughters in their arms.

"I told you you were an amazing mom, Luce," Natsu said softly, Lucy humming as she nuzzled into his embrace.

"I guess now wouldn't be a good time to tell you I'm three weeks pregnant, huh?"

 _"WHAT?"_

* * *

 **A/N; This was adorable and here is a hint to my hc's about nalu children. There is more details and one was left out but gahhh I loved this fluff! I might work more next gen :3 if you guys want me to lol**

 **Sidenote; Tatsu means dragon and Mitsu means light in Japanese!**


	6. Daily Kisses And Bad Timing

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU; K**

* * *

Natsu was lying on his bed, throwing a red ball at the ceiling and catching it, Happy curled into his side. The small blue cat was more subdued than usual, something Natsu could relate to as he caught the ball in his left hand for the 50th time. And then in his right for the 51st time. The world seemed quiet outside, the traffic hushed and nature silent, as though it too were in mourning.

It had only been three days since the funeral.

Natsu supposed that it would make sense that the world would react so strongly to her emotions, Lucy always managed to light the room with her smile or bring everyone to tears with a trembling lip. While she had not been close with her father, Natsu still understood the sting of becoming an orphan. Even if Lucy wouldn't call herself that at the age of 20.

He didn't even look over when he heard the door open and soft footsteps pad over to his bed. A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth when he thought about how Lucy had come into his studio apartment like she owned the place, which she might as well have considering she used her key more often than Natsu. Hey, he liked her bed and her place more, with all it's personal touches and homey feeling and love.

Lucy continued to be quiet until she crawled into his side, hugging him tightly and throwing the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders over him, managing to trap his cat under the dark blue fabric with bright yellow stars. Lucy had always had this blanket, and it made his smile turn more melancholic as he lifted an arm and pulled her into a strong embrace in his side, their legs tangling subconsciously as Lucy rested her head on his chest.

"Hey," he called softly in greeting, running his hand through her messy hair. While she had showered, Natsu wasn't sure if she had brushed it yet. Maybe he could offer to do that for her, only because it would be a nice thing to do and not at all because Natsu loved playing with the soft strands of gold. Absolutely not. "What're doing here, Luce?"

"I'm here for my daily fix of hugs and kisses," she replied, words muffled by the fabric of his scarf. "And you owe me two days extra." She lifted her head at his gentle chuckle, red eyes and tired smile making Natsu's heart ache. His Lucy should never be sad or upset! Well, only angry-upset with him anyway and that was only because she looked adorable when yelling at him. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lips lingering as she hummed and sank further into his embrace. Happy mewled as he worked his way from under the covers, climbing over Natsu quickly to see Lucy. She giggled when Happy began purring and nuzzling her chin with his head, nosing her cheek until she lifted one hand from under the blankets at rubbed between his ears. Natsu's smile widened as he watched his cat and girlfriend cuddle, all the family he needed in the world tucked under one childhood blanket and laying in his arms.

"Aye sir," he hummed as he trailed sweet kisses along the side of her face, lips barely touching her skin as he outlined her features from her temple to her chin to her eyelid and the tip of her nose. Lucy's eyes fluttered open when he pulled back, slim fingers leaving Happy's fur to instead run through his hair and tuck the wild pink pieces behind his ear. They continued to run over his jaw and lips, smooth and soft as they moved tenderly over his tan skin.

"I love you," Lucy said quietly, soft voice somehow leaving the quiet in tact that surrounded them. Natsu could never describe her voice, a mix between honey melting and wind chimes blowing gently in a flower field. Did that even make sense? Of course not, but Natsu had read one too many of her work in progress novels and had picked up on some of the weird ass ways she described things. And it made him love her all the more, because only his Lucy would be weird enough to write something like that.

He gently pressed his chapped lips against her soft ones, drinking in the feel of her against him as they cuddled and the way her lips moved so familiarly against his. They had only been dating for a few months now - four months, two weeks, and six days- but they had been friends since middle school, and it felt like that had known each other even longer. Natsu wasn't sure if he believed in soul mates, but he was willing to bet his scarf that he and Lucy were just that. He leaned his forehead against hers and broke the soothing kiss, Lucy's arms wrapping more securley around his neck and Natsu pulling her deeper into his embrace as they looked at one another. Large chocolate brown eyes, full lips, soft features and a heart shaped face all made Lucy a standard beauty, what that wasn't what drew Natsu to her. No, it was the way her right eyebrow twitched when she was angry, or the tiny snort that crinkled her nose when Natsu made her laugh too hard. The way her smile grew lopsided when she was looking at something she loved, or the way she would stick twenty pencils in her bun when writing. The way her eyes would lite up like she had just seen the best thing in the world when she looked at him -or a new book. All of these were the things that Natsu fawned over, and had stolen his heart.

"This may be a bad time," Natsu started, no remorse or regret stopping his mouth as he spoke, "but marry me." Lucy's eyes grew saucer like as she looked up at him, Natsu cupping her face and stroking her flush cheeks with his thumbs. "I love you Lucy, with all my heart. You're the weirdest, loudest, most caring and amazing person I've ever met. I know how much family means to you, and I've considered you a part of mine for years now. I also know how traditional you are with all your rules and manners and crap, so I figured we'd make it official, so you'll never feel lonely again. Because you'll have me, and Happy, and we'll never leave you. Well, Happy will someday, but I'd rather not think about that because that's sad and this is a proposal and oh god I don't have a ring yet I don't know what I'm doing actually never mind forget it you don't have to say anything it was just an id-" Natsu started to ramble, panic growing in his chest as Lucy continued to stare up at him in shocked silence through his speech. He was saved from shoving his foot further into his mouth when Lucy jumped him, pressing her mouth to his roughly and kissing him hard enough to make him forget what he was about to say.

"That's better," Lucy giggled, Natsu smiling down at her in disbelief. He wiped away the beginnings of tears in the corner of her eyes, hand freezing when she spoke.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Natsu repeated, laughing loudly when she said it again, beaming up at him. Natsu felt his own eyes prick as he hugged her tightly, sitting up and dragging her with him so that he could hold her properly. She had said yes. And now, he could bring her with him to pick out a ring.

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy called, Natsu pulling back slightly so that he could look down at her. Joy danced in her eyes, even as fresh tears spilt over the full lashes that rimmed them. "I love you so much, you dork."

Laughter boomed through the room as Natsu laughed deeply, crushing Lucy too him and sealing her mouth with his own, whispering in between adoring kisses.

"I love you too, weirdo."

* * *

 **A/N; This was also adorable and just a little sad. Ya'll got me doing all these proposal pieces, the fluff rotting my teeth ;D**


	7. I Think I'm In Love

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Canon; K**

* * *

Lucy had always known what she wanted from life.

She had a plan, something she had worked out and set in motion ever since she ran away at the ripe old age of sixteen. Learn magic, do what she wants, meet a prince charming like her fairy tale books, get married, publish a book, have children, be happy. Lucy didn't think it was that hard, and yet…

Lucy was turning 19 in two months, and she hadn't even had a proper kiss. No boyfriend to sweep her off her feet, no closer to publishing her book. Yes she had grown stronger in magic, and she was relatively free to decide things for herself, but that wasn't what bothered her. What bothered Lucy was that she no longer cared if she ever got those other goals. She snuck a peek at the boy walking beside her, prattling on about some monster he had defeated while fishing with Happy, eyes excited and hands flying as he embellished the story. Lucy smiled softly as she looked over his face, boyish features sharpened into roughish lines that turned girls -and boys- heads as he passed. Eyes somehow switching between onyx and emerald, wild and full of life, like his pink hair. He was taller than her, gaining height since the first day they met in Hargeon.

"And _then_ , I used Fire Dragon's Roar, but the bastard ducked back into the water! Ohhh you should've seen how pissed Happy was, claiming I was gonna ruin all the fish and burn up the pond. Like I'm _that_ stupid," Natsu complained, Lucy frowning at his last statement.

"You're not stupid, Natsu," she said sternly, Natsu's eyes shooting to her's in confusion. "You're not." she said more firmly, looking ahead of them as she felt heat grow on her cheeks. "You're one of the most strategic and aware people I've met. Sure you can be dense. Simple, _definitely_. But never stupid." she looked at him from the corner of her eye, noticing how his steps were slowing and his brow was wrinkled in concentration.

"You really think so?" he asked softly, eyes narrowed suspiciously and tone wary, as if Lucy was just playing a prank on him. And that made her _angry_. She knew how often insults flew around the guild, fights breaking out only three times a day if they were lucky, but had no one ever told him his good qualities? Had none of his family ever thought to encourage and praise him?

" _Yes_." Lucy said vehemently, stepping in front of him and gripping one of his hands with both of her own. "Just because you have a different kind of intelligence than other people doesn't make you stupid, Natsu. And not only that, but you're kind, and loyal, and energetic and fun to be around. Even if you _weren't_ smart, that wouldn't make you any less of an amazing and important person!" Lucy's eyes were blazing as she looked up at him, voice clear and firm so that she left no room for doubt. A brilliant pink spread across Natsu's face at her words, mouth gaping at her outburst. Lucy looked around as heat bloomed on her own cheeks and ears, other people having stopped as she raised her voice. Turning on her heel but keeping his hand in one of her's, Lucy walked quickly in the direction they had been going before. She had no idea _where_ they were going, but anywhere was better than here right now.

Suddenly she was scooped up, yelping loudly and fists banging on Natsu's back as he slung her over his shoulder, loud whooping laugh infectious as Lucy began to giggle too. She could see that Natsu's ears still matched his hair, and she called to him as he continued to run through the streets of Magnolia."Where are we going?" She was certain he wouldn't have heard her if not for his enhanced hearing, and even then it took him a few moments to respond.

"I dunno, an adventure!" he crowed, Lucy slipping into his arms so that he was holding her butt in the crook of his elbow and Lucy was holding onto his -very fluffy and soft- hair. He beamed up at her as he spoke, eyes squeezed tightly and large smile revealing both of his fangs. Lucy couldn't help but feel any real complaint die on her lips as she smiled back down at him. The 'Natsu Smile' always did that to her.

 _I think I'm in love_ she mused to herself, happy Natsu's hearing wasn't good enough to read her mind. Who needed a prince charming when they had a dragon to whisk them away on wild adventure?

* * *

 **A/N; Normally Natsu is always shown falling first, so I thought it would be cool to see Lucy reach the understanding herself! That and I have emotions about how Natsu is treated by the guild, and I think Lucy would too.**


	8. Deer In The Headlights

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Kiane, Seven Deadly Sins**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU; T**

* * *

Diane was fine.

Who cared if it was 3 o'clock in the morning, she was well beyond tipsy, wandering through the middle of who the fuck knows, and alone.

She was fine.

And she definitely wasn't upset at Captain, _noooooo_. Who cared if he had kept trying to look up that blonde bimbo's skirt or grope her chest. Not that Diane didn't have larger -and perkier- boobs and was wearing her lowest cut top and tightest pair of jeans. She had even forgone her heels, already towering over everyone at her 5′11 height. Diane was proud of her body, really she was. _She_ was the person that Captain relied on for strength on the football team, _she_ was his equal, _she_ was sweet and reliable and good enough.

Diane was fine.

Rain began to fall, mixing with the silent tears streaming from her face. Not that Diane had been crying, because that meant that she wasn't fine. And she was. Fine. She was fine.

The image of that blond girl -Elizabeth, what a stupid, girly, perfect name- blushing and stammering as Captain felt her up and eyed her flashed in Diane's mind. The way her cheeks flushed the gentlest of pinks and the innocent way she fluttered her lashes as she accepted Captains half baked excuse for his wandering hands, the spark in Captain's eyes as he made her laugh, the way his truest smile lifted the corners of his lips as that _skank_ played with Hawk.

Why didn't Captain look at her like that?

Why wasn't she the girl who stole his heart and felt his hands on her body. She was a woman too, full bust and pronounced curves. What could _Elizabeth_ possibly offer him that Diane couldn't?

Diane was fine.

But she was no Elizabeth apparently.

The rain fell harder as stumbled through the woods that surrounded Ban's house, tall trees offering some shelter from the rain that increasingly poured harder as she made her way along the path. She just needed to _leave_ , not that anyone would care that she had gone. No, hey were her friends, her family. Her team would notice she had left, and she should be home to ignore their calls instead of stuck out in the rain, ruining whatever make up her tears hadn't washed away.

Her feet landed on harder material, the space in front of her more clear than it had been before. She was on the road. She could do this, only 30 more minutes of walking and then she could gorge herself on chocolate and stalk pretty-little-skank's social media. There was no way someone was really that sweet and kind and loving of a person. Especially not with a body like that.

She looked to her right, seeing only darkness and a road sign stating the distance to town. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the sign getting brighter, light barely illumating the green sign but still growing stronger. Diane's head shot to the left, sopping pigtails smacking her face lightly and her body freezing as she stared blankly at the car coming at her.

So maybe Diane wasn't fine.

* * *

"Please wake up oh _God_ please wake up I'm sorry, miss, I'm so sorry, oh God."

A voice floated above her, Diane's eyes refusing to open and her mouth refusing to make any noise.

"Sir, visting hours will be over shortly. She's fine, aside from a few scratches and a minor head injury. It's a good thing you were only going 10 kilometres an hour when you struck her, this is by far the least injured person to be struck by a car that we've seen in this kind of weather. It's more of her blood alcohol level that is keeping her from waking, and I can assure you this is not your fault." A different voice spoke this time, a woman's if Diane had to guess. Kind but firm. Professional. Beeping filtered in next, as did a sterile smell. A hospital then, like the kind that Captain had gone to when he had overworked himself on the field and collapsed. Footsteps announced someone leaving, and a chair scarped beside her. Tension knotted her stomach, the possibility of the person beside her leaving seemed to make her upset. Just their presence beside her was calming her, and Diane wasn't coherent enough to question it right now.

Instead, Diane felt the bed dip beside her arm as if someone was resting their weight on it. The first voice spoke again -high but definitely a boy's- muffled as though he had buried his head in his arms.

"This is _not_ how I was hoping to meet a cute girl. 'Oh hi, I hit you with my car when it was raining and you were wandering drunk through the forest, want to grab a coffee?'. Yeah, King, that'll get her to go on a date with you _for sure_." the voice moaned, and Diane couldn't help but giggle at his dramatics. The sound was barely heard by Diane herself, but she finally managed to force her eyes open and watched as the body resting partially on her bed froze. A bright shock of orange hair was the first thing Diane noticed, the second being the pale skin and stark white knuckles as the boy's entire body froze at her sound.

"Well it wouldn't be worst pick up line I've heard," Diane joked, voice scratchy from disuse and just waking up. Slowly the boy -King, what a strange name- lifted his head, amber eyes wide and cheeks a brilliant red as he looked at her. His hair was wild from drying naturally, short spikes sticking in all directions and to his forehead. He had a babyish face, not helped by the shocking orange and blue rain jacket he still wore, hood glistening with water still. Diane guessed that meant she hadn't been here for long.

"Ho-how, how long have you b-been awake?" King squeaked, ears now matching his cheeks as he stuttered through his sentence.

"Long enough to hear you think I'm cute," she replied, voice stronger and eyebrow quirking when King buried his head back into his arms as he groaned pathetically.

He was actually rather adorable, even if he wasn't as standardly attractive as Captain. Which was probably a good thing, considering her heart had never beat so erratically when she looked at Captain, and she had definitely never grinned so widely after having made him flustered like she could to King. She wasn't ashamed to say she enjoyed it, and her smile grew even larger when he peeked a curious eye over the edge of his arm to look at her.

"S-so, how do you, umm, feel, I guess?" King asked, ears still pink and avoiding her gaze as he straightened his body. He sat cross legged on the hospital chair, fidgeting with the edge of his sleeves as he waited for her answer.

"Better, now." Diane said simply, surprised by the truth of it. In fact, she was feeling better than better as she retuned King's shy smile with a broad one of her own. "The coffee may be shit here, but I'd love to grab that cup until they release me. If you want to, that is." Diane offered slowly, laughing to herself at the way King's face lit up and he scrambled out of his seat, stammering and calling that he'd love to and that he'd be right back as he rounded the doorway. Dull sounds of crashes and muffled apologies made her lift a hand to cover her mouth as she continued to laugh silently.

Diane was going to be better than fine, and getting drunk and hot by a car in the middle of the night was something she never thought she would be grateful for.

Diane was great.

* * *

 **A/N: This is officially my first non FairyTail fic woooooo! And it's been forever since I've watched this anime even tho it is in my like top five. Ahhhh it's so fun exploring characters who are so imperfect, I just. Love Diane so much?**


	9. Dental Care

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Canon; K**

* * *

Natsu had never seen Lucy so high.

And this included that one time he had picked those funny mushrooms and put them in the pot without telling her.

"Na-Natshuuuu," Lucy slurred, leaning heavily on him and pulling at his cheeks as he carried her bridal style up the steps to her apartment. While normally he would be cackeling and recording this with a video lacrima, he was too busy fighting hard against the blush on his cheeks and the tension in his shoulders to think about future blackmail material. Lucy had been acting.. _weird_ since she had gotten her wisdom teeth removed. Like, weirder than usual.

"Nashuuuu, yer so cutee." Lucy fawned, nuzzeling into his scarf and releasing his cheeks. "So cute an'strong. Big strong dragon slayer!" Lucy giggled, kicking her feet in the air. "But yer nawt scar-yy. Noooo, you protect me! I can always count on you, cus you're ma bes'friend." Lucy said, words slurred but tone firm, pulling back suddenly and making Natsu lurch to hold onto her, her brown eyes wide and glazed, fire still obvious behind the drugs. Natsu swallowed harshly at her look, nodding his head as he unlocked her door.

"Of course I'm your best friend, you weirdo." Natsu said shakily, sighing to himself when her hands started to stroke through his hair, movements sloppy and disjointed.

"My best friend is the hottest mage in all of Fairy Tail," Lucy crowed, breaking into a fit of hysterical giggles. "Get it? Cus yer's a fire dragon slayer! You're so _hot!_ And sexy," Lucy hummed the final part, nuzzeling into his ear and causing Natsu to yelp, face burning at her words. She had been like this since she had opened her eyes after the surgery, cheeks puffy and eyes hazed she had latched onto him, complimenting his looks and strength. A small -okay, large- part of Natsu was ecstatic and basking in her praise, inner dragon purring as she ran her hands over him and slurred out her true thoughts. Or high thoughts, he guessed. His joy had deflated when Happy had pointed it out, but the blue exceed's reminder of reality hadn't completely destroyed the small flame of hope that sparked in his chest. The small cat had flown away in tears after Lucy had hugged him too hard and calling him 'the most adorable and squeezable thing she had ever seen', the exceed's pride hurt as he wailed that Lucy was babying him and flew into Wendy's arms.

"You make my eyes happy," Lucy sighed, Natsu barking out a laugh at her strange words. He gently laid her on the bed, trying to pry her fingers from around his bicep as kindly as he could as she clung to him.

"And why is that, Luce?" Natsu asked with a small smile, rolling his eyes and huffing when she dragged him to a place on the bed beside her with his scarf.

"'Cus my heart does little flutters and my tummy clenches when I look at ya, and I 'lways wanna look at you 'cus yer so good to look at." Lucy hummed, leg thrown over Natsu's hips and pinning him to the bed as she cuddled into his side. His cheeks were burning again, but he sighed in defeat as he settled into the bed beside her, arms wrapping around her and squeezing tighter at her happy mewl.

"I'm so happy I'm dating you."

Natsu twitched at her words, spitting out a fireball in surprise as he struggled in her hold. "What the fuck Luce?" he gasped, Lucy blinking blearily and grinning up at him drowsily, his heart seizing at how beautiful and vulnerable she looked in his arms right now.

"I saaaiiid, that I'm 'appy we're datin'! 'Cus I looooove you," Lucy giggled, settling into his side again as if she had just ended the conversation.

"Uh-umm, Luce?" Natsu called out, voice cracking and forcing him to clear his throat in discomfort. Lucy raised her head and looked at him with narrowed eyes, confused and groggy as he kept stopping her from sleeping. "We're not, ah, I um, mean you and I aren't a, _oh fuck_." Natsu struggled to explain, paling when he saw Lucy's lower lip start to tremble.

"You don't love me?" Lucy asked me a quiet voice, tone the most coherent Natsu had heard it in the past hour. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she looked up at him, and Natsu back-pedalled, hands stroking her hair affectionately as he spoke.

"Shit, shit, don't cry Luce. 'Course I love ya, it's- it's just that…" Natsu trailed off, shoulders slumping as he looked at her with pleading eyes. Lucy nawed at her lip while she continued to look up at him, nose scrunching as she thought.

"So you love me, and I love you. That means we're dating!" Lucy said bluntly, dropping her head back into his shoulder and burying her head into his scarf. Natsu gaped at her words, hands hovering over arms as he tried to decide what to do. "You smell really good," Lucy mumbled, Natsu's teeth grinding together and his jaw straining as he fought back screaming. What the fuck was he supposed to say to _that_? "Like home and warmth." Lucy breathed before she fell asleep, body resting heavily on top of his and light snores coming from the spot between his shoulder and neck.

Natsu was so fucked.

He let his body settle around hers, looking down at Lucy as he softly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trailing his calloused hand through the golden locks again. "I wish it were only that simple, Luce." Natsu whispered to himself, pressing his lips to her forehead and smiling sadly at her happy hum as she nuzzled closer to him. For now, he could pretend that what she had said hadn't been some drug fueled delirium, instead a true confession that would lead the to something more.

"I love you more than you know, you weirdo."

* * *

 **A/N: Ooooooo this one seemed so much for fun and awkward to write! My poor babies, if only you would _TALK TO ONE ANOTHER_**


	10. The Real World

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Canon; K**

* * *

Lucy tried desperately to tug the arm that wrapped around middle off of her, giving it a futile smack before she let her arms slump beside her. A deep chortle sounded behind her just before hot breath hit the side of her neck. Lucy blushed and rolled her eyes as she felt the boy whose lap she was trapped on nuzzle into her hair and twine his other arm around her, effectively caging her for the rest of the day.

Gods knew Natsu didn't let go of something once it was in his hold.

"Natsu, the store closes in an hour. If you want food you'll have to let me up." Lucy chided, fingertips running soothingly along the back of his hand even as her she berated him. Lucy let out an irritated sigh when Natsu gave a sound of refusal, squeaking when he tightened his grip on her.

"Do we have enough food for tonight?" His question was muffled by her hair, Lucy ignoring the way her heart speed up when his lips ghosted over her skin.

"… Barely," Lucy relented sourly, Natsu's chirp of victory deciding their fate.

There was no way Lucy was leaving this apartment -or his arms- this afternoon.

She continued to wiggle in his arms, Natsu whining before he flopped onto his side, Lucy being dragged with him and face pressed partially into her couch cushions. "Why'dya wanna go out anyway Luce?" Natsu complained, allowing Lucy to twist in his arms and the pair adjusting to a more comfortable position. Natsu was propped in the corner of the couch, Lucy settled against his chest and between his legs as Natsu's arms encircled her once more. "You hate the rain more than Happy does."

While Natsu had a point, Lucy still pouted spitefully and glared out the window and at the rain drops that struck the glass. Lucy didn't _really_ want to go out in the rain and run errands, but she would rather risk getting sick and ruining her clothes than ruining her relationship with Natsu. Which was a strong possibility with the way he was holding her so tightly right now and the fact that Happy was stranded at Fairy Hills with Wendy and Charla. Not that Lucy figured the blue cat was complaining.

"Hey, do you want some fire cocoa?" Lucy asked suddenly. Natsu was silent behind her, Lucy worrying on her lip as the seconds ticked by. She was nervous spending so much time alone with Natsu, unable to fight back her budding crush on her best friend any longer. It wasn't her fault that he had such an endearing smile or that he was dead gorgeous, not to mention how sexy he was when he fought or the child-like enthusiasm he approached everything with, dragging Lucy behind him on a new adventure.

And Lucy was almost certain that it was completely one sided.

"You're just tryin'ta get away from me." Natsu grumbled, arms slipping from around her and resting listlessly to the side. Lucy froze, unable to think of anything to say at the dejection in his voice. Did he sound… _hurt_? "Yeah, fine. If you want some I could go for a cup." Natsu relented with false easiness, nudging Lucy gently in the back as she continued to remain where she was. In a daze Lucy stood from the couch, making her way quietly into the kitchen to put on the kettle. She brought down two mugs and put the mixture of hot cocoa in each, extra spicy chili flakes added to Natsu's red one. Lucy had learned to colour code their mugs after The Incident and Lucy had been unable to taste food for a week.

Lucy couldn't stop thinking about how strange Natsu had been acting before, and she looked over her shoulder to watch the pink haired dragon slayer. He was staring glumly at her wall, lost in his own thoughts, shoulders rolled inwards and his eyes dull. Lucy's gut clenched painfully at how wrong it looked. Natsu should be causing mayhem or ruining her apartment, leaning on her shoulder and complaining that he could heat the water faster than any stupid kettle or trying to read the latest chapter of her story -not that Natsu even enjoyed reading. An idea to cheer him up struck Lucy, and she hurried to her room. Digging through her closet, Lucy smiled broadly when she found what she had been looking for, stripping and changing before the kettle could whistle.

After putting together the drinks, Lucy walked quickly to Natsu, holding the drink in front of his face when he didn't acknowledge her at first. When he finally did look at her, Lucy giggled lightly at his double take, green eyes large as he looked up at her.

"I thought you hated that?" Natsu questioned, absently taking the cup of spiced cocoa from her hand as his gaze looked over her. Lucy fidgeted with the bottom of the sweater, a large princess crown knitted into the light red material. The sleeves were large on her, one shoulder hanging low and the bottom almost completely covering her sleep shorts.

"You got it for me dummy, I could never _hate_ it. I just wouldn't wear it in public." Lucy brushed off, neck heating as he continued to look over her with unashamed intensity. She looked at him pointedly, Natsu having crossed his legs and removed her spot after she stood. "Well? You were the one who was so adamant on cuddling today?" Lucy questioned, voice stronger than she expected, even a little flirty. Oh gods, had Lucy meant it to be flirty? She didn't know, but judging by the way Natsu gulped sharply and quickly resumed his earlier sitting Lucy didn't think it had been a bad thing.

Grinning brightly to herself Lucy snuggled into his chest, ignoring Natsu's mumbled denial of how much he had wanted to cuddle before. Lucy hummed in reply, Natsu tensing briefly as he realized she had heard. The pair sat in comfortable silence, drinking in each others company and relaxing into one another's warmth.

"I like it on you," Natsu said quietly, Lucy pausing mid sip. Swallowing the warm chocolatey drink, Lucy rested her head on his shoulder, looking up at the side of his face as she made a questioning noise. "The sweater," Natsu explained further, staring into his mug like it's contents were the most interesting thing in the room. "Red looks good on ya."

"O-oh," Lucy replied breathlessly, pink heating Natsu's ears and making her breath catch in her throat. Was Natsu… _blushing?_ He was, and he blushed harder the longer Lucy looked at him, his sharp eyes peeking at her before quickly looking away and he fidgeted with his scarf before taking a long sip of his drink. "Thanks," Lucy mumbled, leaning more solidly into his body, Natsu's arm winding around her middle and holding her tightly to him, purposefully looking away from her growing smile.

Maybe Lucy's feeling's weren't so one sided after all.

* * *

 **A/N; Oh god y'all better be happy I'm working on something angsty and need this fluff to balance me out. SO MUCH FUCKING FLUFF.**


	11. Up All Night

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Demon!AU; T**

* * *

Natsu punched the wall to his left, body shaking uncontrollably after he had run away from her apartment. He just couldn't look at her right now, her long blonde hair that framed her like a halo, her wide brown eyes that he could read so easily. Her lips that called to his or her cheeks that begged to be touched by his hands. He knew without experience that she would fit under his arm perfectly, moudling her body to his like it had been meant to be. And maybe in another life it had been, but right now it was just a cruel joke from Fate.

 _It wasn't fucking fair._

He was a Demon, selling his soul to the Devil to save his family, how many years ago now? 300, 400? Natsu couldn't remember anymore, but never once had he regretted his decision even as he watched so many faces come and go, souls reborn and dying again. He had borne his curse without a complaint, knowing he would have done it over again because his sister and brothers had been saved.

But now…

Now tears streamed down his face as he sank against the brick around the corner of their building. His shoulders shook as he sobbed, heart aching in his chest even if it didn't need to beat. It wasn't fair, that he had fallen in love with a Pure Soul. Even if Natsu didn't have to have his heart be broken as he watched her age and die, he knew he could never be with her. His demonic aura would taint her, and she would never be able to return to heaven.

It figured, with his luck, that he had fallen for a soul that would never be reborn, an Angel curious about humanity and risking her very place in the sky to experience life.

Natsu had never _wanted_ to fall in love. He had never _wanted_ anything more than to be friends with the weird blonde girl that lived in his building, laughter bubbling from her pink lips and light radiating around her so much that people couldn't help but stare and be drawn to her.

Natsu _wanted_ to be sick.

 _It wasn't fair_ kept playing through his mind in a chant even as he buried his face in his hands and his tears caught in his white scaled scarf, the last thing he had taken from his father before he had started his wandering journey, unable to watch his family age and move on as he was trapped in a 22 year old body.

He leaned his head against the wall behind him, pink fringe invading his watery eyesight as his hair was pushed into his face. He should go back, explain to her that he had just had an anxiety attack or something. She deserved that at least. Hell, she deserved the fucking sun.

She certainty didn't deserve Natsu.

And yet she had chosen him. He felt it in what was left of his soul, the way she looked at him like he was her whole world and the soft smile she reserved for his antics when she thought he wasn't looking. But Natsu was always looking at her, even just in his peripheral.

How long had he loved her now? Natsu couldn't remember a certain point, it had probably been a gradual fall, so slow he hadn't noticed until he crashed into the rocky floor and had the wind torn from his lungs. Eyes hardening in resolve Natsu fisted at the gravel beside where he sat, blood dried on his knuckles from where he had split the skin earlier, wounds pushing the mortar and brick chips out of his body before healing.

He wouldn't leave her, not like everyone else had. Fate be dammed, Natsu wasn't about to waste the precious time he had with her, even if he could never _be_ with her. He wouldn't steal her future from her, but he would bask in her shadow for as long as she walked the same Earth as him.

She was his Lucy, and he was damn well going to be her Natsu. An Angel had managed to steal a Demon's heart, even unaware of what she -and _he-_ was.

It may not be fair, but Natsu had never been one to accept injustice against the ones he loved. The Devil himself could attest to that.

* * *

 **A.N; This was so fun to write and also super painful because Natsu angst is the best angst. Seriously tho I wanna write more of this whoops.**


	12. Gold (Acoustic)

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Stingue, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Dance Club!AU; M**

* * *

Rogue was going to do it.

He had three shots of scotch and the alcohol was just hitting him enough to make his inhibition get shoved to the side as he looked at the gorgeous blond sipping the same glass of sake he had been nursing for the past 20 minutes. Sting was looking longingly out at the dance floor, tie loosened and black suit jacket slung on his shoulder, no back on the barstool to leave it. Rogue let his eyes trace Sting's angular jaw and defined cheek bones, blue eyes framed with beautiful dark lashes. He stole his gaze away before his friend could notice Rogue's staring, eyes intent as he fiddled with the cuffs of his dark dress shirt.

Was he stupid for thinking someone as full of light and amazing as Sting would want to be anything more than friends with him? Would it ruin what Rogue considered his most precious relationship if he let slip how he felt? These thought plagued his mind, but with a grimace Rogue took back his fourth -and final- shot of scotch before swinging his legs off of the stool and standing beside his best friend.

"Come on you pouty ass, let's dance."

Sting's eyes shot up and looked at Rogue with wide shock before a large grin broke across his face, hand reaching out and grabbing Rogue's and dragging the dark haired man to the dance floor.

The pair danced facing each other, music more dirty and bass-heavy than one would expect at a business conference. Well, if it hadn't had been a conference for club and bar owners that is. Sting was the owner of the second largest nightclub in Fiore, _Sabertooth_ , outdone by only _Fairy Tail_ , a four story club with a tavern, rave pit, two dance floors for each level, different music for every taste available in the small town of Magnolia.

It had been the bane of Rogue's existence to stop Sting from going over budget trying to out-do the club and it's famous DJ-slash-promoter, Natsu Dragneel. Rogue still felt the nauseas curl of jealousy in his lower stomach whenever Sting fawned over the pink haired man for too long. He could never compete with Natsu's strong jaw or deep tan, dark onyx eyes mischievous and alluring and a crooked grin that whispered sinful things into whoever's mind he was looking at. Rogue's only saving grace was that the world famous DJ was engaged to a blonde woman named Lucy, the girl spirited enough to put up with and keep his antics in line.

He started when suddenly Sting turned his back and pressed his ass into Rogue's crotch, both of his pale hands caught in Sting's grip and the blond pressing Rogue's palms to his chest.

"Hn-nnng," Rogue chocked, Sting's low chuckle making the black haired man weak in the knees -along with the way he was fighting to keep the blood above his belt line. Damn when did Sting learn to roll his hips like that?

"I was wondering when you were going to grow a pair and ask me to dance," Sting purred over his shoulder, sultry grin visible when he turned his head to look at Rogue, eyes hooded and bringing a burning heat across Rogue's face. "And that's not the only thing that you're _growing._ " he teased darkly, rough roll backwards making Rogue drop his hands and grip Sting's hips tightly, pulling their bodies flush against one another so that Rogue's semi was digging into Sting's left ass cheek. Sting made a high noise, head falling back so that his earring was left to rest on his barred neck.

Without thinking -thank you four consecutive shots of scotch- Rogue pressed his mouth against Sting's pulse. His chin pushed aside the collar of his shirt and sharp teeth grazed the smooth skin along his neck, hand moving from his waist to press flatly against Sting's toned stomach.

"I only would've needed two shots if I'd known you were waiting." Rogue whispered huskily before nipping at the top of Sting's ear, the blond making a very unmanly moan at the pricking sensation.

Rogue smirked as he ground his hardness into Sting's backside as a stray thought flitted across his lust and alcohol fueled mind

Looked like Rogue was going to be doing more that _it_ tonight.

* * *

 **A/N: Heyo have some almost smut. I have officially covered all three genres of fluff, angst, and smut with these minifics. And my first Stingue fic!**


	13. Castle

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: EndLu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Canon, M**

* * *

Natsu stood on the battlefield, bodies of demons and humans strewn about in in a wide arc, no pattern amongst the carnage. Fire licked at his claws, dark black talons growing from where his nails used to be and scales covering the skin of his wrists and forearms.

He let loose a feral snarl, turning slowly in a circle, daring anyone to challenge him. A grin that felt twisted even to him revealed his elongated fangs, lower lip bleeding where they touched. Power surged through him, consumed him in white hot ecstasy. He wanted to _fight_.

Natsu roared.

The sound resonated in his chest, flames from his thrown back head reaching for the smoke and ash filled sky, mixing with the deafening sound of challenge and bestial power. He dropped his head back into a normal position, manic laugh pulling from his throat even as he felt blood trickle down the sides of his chin. His own or someone else's he didn't care.

"Natsu."

His head whipped to the right, pointed ears twitching at the soft call. He watched with a cocked head as a figure slowly emerged from the smoke. Her clothes were in tatters, revealing milky skin that was blemished with dirt and blood. She shook as she continued to walk towards him, twin paths cleared from honey brown eyes along her cheeks by tears. "Stop it."

Natsu grinned at her command, because that was how she said it. Though the fear in her body and decimation around her, Lucy's voice did not quiver and her tone was final. She was so strong. His weirdo.

"Stop what, Luce?" he asked, smirk pulling at his lips and his tongue flicking out to clean the blood from them. He could see his reflection in her watery eyes, ruby red scales accentuated by the odd black one covering his cheek bones and encroaching on the sides of his face, black horns curing upwards from his temples. Although he supposed it should be his eyes that scared her the most, the open and deep grey replaced by an electric red, a hint of insanity dancing under the surface.

He watched her until she stood in front of him, smile falling slightly from his face at her trembling lip. He scanned the bodies around him -at least what he could make of the remains- searching for any familiar faces. A strange feeling weighed in his chest when he remembered that the power surge had come after he had charged head first into enemy territory. No one that Lucy would care for lied dead around him. He frowned when he recognized the strange feeling. _Relief_. For what he wasn't sure, as he couldn't care less about who he tore his claws through, only desiring the rush of victory and the sounds of begging before him.

"This. The killing. You don't need to k-kill them to beat them Natsu. Yes they're bad people, but they're still _people_." Lucy said softly, eyes searching his for understanding as she gently cupped his face with both of her hands. Natsu looked at her blankly, noting how her voice wavered and became hinted with desperation. He didn't like it. His Lucy should never look so scared and broken.

"I don't _have_ to Lucy. I _want_ to." he answered, smirk pulling at his lips until he saw her flinch back, one arm wrapping tightly around her to stop her from retreating. From leaving him. "They challenged me Luce. I have to show them that I'm too strong for them to ever fight. What I'll do to them if they hurt my family." His last sentence made him pause. It had been automatic, but rung as truthful as all of his other statements. It was odd though, because he didn't care about Fairy Tail or Sabertooth or any other guild, and yet the thought of anyone of them being hurt made him snarl in anger. His eyes focused on Lucy again when he smelt fear swim around them, horror growing in Lucy's eyes as more tears fell from them.

"W-who are you?" Lucy asked, leaning away from his body as she dropped her hands from face. The loss of contact made something ache in his chest and he felt his tail twitch in irritation, dragging along the ground before curling possessively around her ankle and making her jump at the unexpected contact. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face as he brought one of her hands back up to his face, nuzzling into the soft skin and taking in her scent buried beneath the layers of grim and battle.

"I'm Natsu. I'm your partner and a Fairy Tail mage. I'm E.N.D. I'm powerful enough to never lose you again." Natsu growled, holding her widened gaze from the corner of his slanted eye even as he nipped at her skin, teeth gentle and teasing as the skimmed along her flesh. He watched the denial gather on her lips even as it drained from her eyes, the truth settling over them like a heavy blanket. "I'm going to be King of Alveraz when I kill Zeref and end this. Heh, get it? _END_ it." Natsu grinned at his own joke even as Lucy paled at his statement.

"No, Natsu! You couldn't beat him before, he's practically a _god_." she cried, free hand fisting at the shredded remains of his jacket. "You'll die if you try, especially when you're tak-in the form of one of his demons." Lucy's breath hitched and he watched her curiously, her nose scrunching in the way it did whenever she thought too hard or lost herself in her fantasy world. Panic clearly laced her words, voice high and nearing hysterics.

"He has your book Natsu, oh _god_ he has your bo-"

"Shh, shh Luce. I'm more powerful than him now. Can't you feel it? Hell, after I've taken over as Emperor I'm gonna kill Acnologia! Nothing can stop me, Luce. Nothing can stop _us_!" Natsu crowed, pulling her body close and lifting her in a hug, burying his face in her shoulder as he spun her around. Giddiness mixed intoxicatingly with the power inside him, the closeness of Lucy soothing some primal fear in his soul. As long as she was beside him and he had this strength, she would be safe.

"You're scaring me, Natsu." Lucy whimpered as she clung to him, her body shaking even as her limbs wrapped around him tightly. "You're _you_ but you're different. I see _my_ Natsu in your eyes sometimes, but th-then you speak like that. All power hungry and ruthless a-and, and-" Lucy broke off in a sob, nails digging into the back of his neck and catching under the scales that covered his spinal column before spreading out.

"I'm still your Natsu, Weirdo." Natsu hummed, careful of his claws as he rubbed her back and supported her. He felt her shake her head against him in disconnected movements. "Yes I am." he sighed, walking towards the path where he knew Zeref was. He could _sense_ it. Probably shouldn't tell that to Lucy though, it would only scare her more. "Hey, shh, shh. Why're you crying?" he asked as he stepped over charred bodies, face impassive as he kicked a dismembered head from his path. She hiccuped and sobbed louder, arms and legs tightening their hold on him. He sighed to himself, lifting his gaze and looking intently through the haze around them. He would put a claw mark into Zeref for every tear Lucy cried. A sadistic smile curled his lips and he squeezed his hand into her thigh where he held her.

He could almost taste his brother's blood now.

* * *

 **A/N: This was fun and good practice for angst week. This kinda took it's own turn, but I'm still lowkey proud of it :D Song Prompt was _Castle_ by _Halsey_**

 **Requests are currently closed :p**


	14. Fairy Tales and Wishing Stars

**A/N; tw for mention of self harm and implied death/fatal illness**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Hospital!AU, T**

* * *

"Hey Luce!"

Natsu watched as Lucy slowly opened her eyes, a deep tiredness in her movements even as light sparked in her chocolate eyes. Her joy was quickly replaced with suspicion as she eyed him and sat up, Natsu hurrying to her bedside to help her with practised hands. He smiled at her brightly, settling into the chair opposite the machine to her left.

The constant beeping was easily ignored after visiting her for the past 8 months.

"What did you do this time, Natsu?" Lucy sighed, fingers lacing with his above the plush blanket. He let his eyes trace the starry pattern, leaning his elbows on the edge on her bed. Despite her father's money and the contributions to the hospital, Lucy was still given an average grade bed. At her own insistence she was to be given no prioritization, despite her father's -and Natsu's- arguments.

"Don't know what you're talking about Weirdo. Can't I just visit ya every now and then?" Natsu teased, hand tightening around her smaller one. She sighed in exasperation, shuffling over in her small bed and giving Natsu an expectant look. He let out a happy chirp, flopping onto the thin mattress and cuddling into Lucy's side under her blanket. His smile grew as she giggled, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and tucking her head under his chin. "Comfy?"

Lucy hummed, leaving her arm with the tubes above the blanket and resting on his chest. "I'm always warmer when I get to see you." Lucy said softly, voice gentle and strong. _She_ was so strong.

"Maybe I should come here more often then." Natsu said casually, rubbing his palm along her upper arm, both to warm her and as an excuse to touch her. It wasn't hard to understand how she was so cold, she was so thin Natsu could easily swallow her wrist with his hand.

"No, Natsu. We both know there's only one way onto this floor and I'd rather see my best friend healthy." Lucy lectured, curling tighter into his side as if her body rejected the thought of him leaving even as she spoke.

Kinda like how her body was rejecting treatment.

"If I'm healthy then I can't see you," he grumbled, sinking into the bed as his stupid brain reminded them of where they were. Life wasn't fair.

"Natsu…" Lucy called, voice trailing off. Neither of them wanted to hear what she would have to say, even though Natsu already knew it. Lucy was dying. He tightened his grip on their interlaced fingers, staring at her pale skin peeking through his own. Her porcelain like qualities were only highlighted by the light scars that trailed along his knuckles, prizes collected from his fights and outbursts over the years.

"So were you able to find any new books like you wanted to?" Natsu asked suddenly. The silence had been becoming too stifling, making Natsu feel like he was suffocating under all the weight it held. He let Lucy shift so she could look at him, dry smile pulling at her lips and a light colour rising on her sunken cheeks. "What was it again, something about stars? Or was it galaxies?"

"It was on the mathematical calculations of pulsars and blackholes, and yes. Father brought it for me a few days ago now." Lucy laughed, giggling at how her words went over his head.

"You're so fucking smart, Luce." Natsu groaned, "It's like you're speaking a different language. You sure you're only seventeen?"

"Well I've already counted the ceiling tiles a dozen times. Something had to take up the hours between your visits." Lucy snorted, eyes dancing as Natsu made a face at her statement. He watched as a faraway expression crossed over her eyes, chocolate glazing as she looked at the wall beside him. "I wanted to be a teacher."

"And you _will_ Luce. You'll get better and then I'm gonna take you on a proper date and-"

"Natsu." Lucy interrupted his rant, soft voice cutting through his desperation tinged one. "That sounds more like one of my fairy tales than reality." She tried to smile brightly, but Natsu saw through it. He frowned as he lifted a hand and cupped the side of her face, thumb tenderly wiping away the beginnings of her tears.

"Then why can't we live in a fairy tale?" He asked her in a low voice. In a fairy tale the princess was always saved and any enemy could be defeated if you punched it hard enough. Natsu could sweep her off her feet and run from this prison, going off into the sunset to live happily ever after. A tear slipped from Lucy's closed eyes, her hand cupping the one that Natsu held her face with.

"You know, before I had met you I had accep-"

"No." Natsu said forcefully. He held her sad gaze when she looked at him, anger building inside him. "Never stop fighting." The thought repulsed him, of her just fading away like she had never existed. Someone as wonderful and loving and amazing as Lucy shouldn't be taken from them so soon. Not ever. It wasn't _fair_. He felt his blood start to boil inside him, all other senses and thoughts fading behind his rage at the universe or God or whoever had decided to give Lucy this bullshit hand. He blinked rapidly as he heard Lucy's voice, her brows knit and lips turned down in worry as his vision refocused.

"Natsu? Natsu, tell me where you are." Lucy told him, Natsu taking in deep breaths as he felt the his anger rise and fall like waves crashing inside him.

"Magnolia Hospital."

"Good. What are you feeling?"

"Anger. Sadness. Mostly anger though."

"Okay. How does your body feel?"

Natsu snorted, ducking his head under Lucy's stern glare. "Hot and itchy, like I'm supposed to be doing something. _Anything_." Natsu answered, breathing easier as he felt the anger fall to a dull thrum in the back of his mind. He could punch something after he had to leave Lucy. "Y'know, I don't just come over here for _you_ to look after _me_ , promise." Natsu joked, "I don't even know how you put up with all my bullshit. _I_ should be the one comforting you." Natsu dropped his hand from her face, watching as his fingers curled into a fist on his lap. What kind of asshole visited his sick best friend and then dumped his own issues on her? God he was so _selfish_. Lucy deserved better than him.

"Stop it." Lucy flicked his nose, his eyes wide as they shot up to look at her. "I know what you're thinking and _stop it_. I love when you visit Natsu, where else could I ever see pink that vibrant?" Lucy tugged on a piece of his spiky bangs, smile easy.

"It's salmon and you know it." Natsu pouted, face eventually cracking into a smile back at her, her soft look infectious. The first time he had stumbled upon her room, they had had the debate about his hair colour. Natsu insisted it was natural -and _not_ pink-, Lucy scoffing at his earnesty. It had since become a running joke between the two.

" _Pink_." Lucy sang, giggling as Natsu released a frustrated sound. He tugged on her loose hair, hold becoming gentle as he twined it through his fingers.

"How would you like it if I called your hair yellow?" he asked, eyebrow cocking at her rolled eyes.

"Please, my hair is way too pretty to be called 'yellow'. Blonde just sounds better, doesn't it?" Lucy hummed, head tilting into his knuckles as they traced her cheek.

"The only thing that matters to me is that it's yours." Natsu whispered, Lucy stilling against his hand. Heartbreak flooded her eyes as she looked at Natsu, looking away from him as she settled back into his side. They had also had this conversation before. "I love you Lucy." Natsu sighed, head falling back onto the feathered pillows Lucy's father insisted she used. Maps of the stars covered the ceiling above Lucy's bed, Natsu having been the one to tack them there for her. She had been so ecstatic she had actually danced with him for a while before becoming too exhausted and forced to return to bed. That was one of his favourite memories with her.

"You can't," Lucy said softly, her grip tightening on his hand. "It's not fair to yourself Natsu. You deserve someone who can give you a future." He heard her tears in the quiver in her light voice, anger curling inside him again. He made her cry. His Lucy was crying and it was his fault. Fuck, he didn't even deserve to be in the same room as her, let alone mean enough to make her cry like this. He pushed those feelings down though, voice falsely cheery as he tried to lighten the mood.

"Hey, why can't I add one more self destructive habit? Besides, you smell better than smoke." Natsu nuzzled into her hair. He may not deserve it, but Natsu was a bad person so he took every opportunity he could to hold her like this and surround himself with her.

"I don't want to hurt you." Lucy whimpered, Natsu pressing his lips in a kiss to her temple.

"Then tell me you love me," Natsu replied softly, resting his forehead on her head.

"I love you."

Natsu grinned at her quiet words, giddiness making all other emotions evaporate and his body feel like he was floating. She loved him. And he loved her.

And life more than sucked. It was cruel

"Oh Natsu, no," Lucy gasped, her dainty fingers having tugged up his one of his hoodie's sleeves. Both of his arms were bound in white gauze, only one of them being revealed by her curious hand. She pulled his sleeve further up to the elbow, red colouring and tan skin making the white wrappings stand out all the more. He was passive as he watched, eyes staring at his limp hand rather than look at her disappointed expression. Why did he have to ruin everything? She was going to push him away, yell at him like he deserved. Instead, he started when she lifted his arm up, lips gentle as they pressed butterfly kisses over his bandage.

"It wasn't on purpose." Natsu rushed out, pleading with her when she let her lashes flutter open to look at him. "I just… It was too much and I couldn't take it anymore and I found the lighter under my bed… I thought I'd thrown them all out- but, but I just needed to _feel_ something a-and… you'd be sad if I broke my hand again and… I tried." Natsu felt his voice catch in his throat as he tore his gaze away from hers, body pulling away from her soothing touch. He wasn't worth her comfort. He'd let her down. "I'm sorry Lucy."

"I wish you would try another medication," Lucy sighed, fingers tilting his face towards hers. "All I want is for you to live a long and happy life Natsu. Go out on adventures. Explore the world." She was wistful as she spoke, and Natsu pressed his hand over hers cupping his face.

"They won't be fun without you there." Natsu countered. She sighed dramatically at his argument, small smile curling her lips as she let her body nestle back into the bed. Both teens laid on their sides to face one another, knees interlocked and careful of the tubes and injuries each held. "Besides, you haven't seen me on meds." he continued in a hush, voice barely above a whisper.

Her hand tightened around his in question, Lucy squirming closer to his side so her fragile body was pressed flush to his. Natsu took a deep breath, steadying himself, eyes unfocused as they traced Leo -his birth constellation. "I'm… different. Numb. It's like all the emotions I feel just get… _sucked_ out of me. And I'm a shitty walking shell. I can't live like that, Luce. It's like I'm watching someone else live in my body, a guy who says the what people want and does what people want and _is_ what people want, but it's not _me_.

"I even named him." Natsu joked dryly, waiting for the concerned look that all of his therapists gave him. The hurried scribble on their pads still haunted his dreams. END had gotten Natsu switched over to specialized counselling a few times before he learned to keep his mouth shut. They just didn't understand what he meant, and he was sick of constantly being examined like a fucking nut case or having more pills shoved down his throat. His eyes flicked to Lucy when he saw her rise in his peripheral. Her eyes were watering again, and her hand shook as she reached to gently brush her fingers along his cheek and then rest in his scarf.

" _You_ are what I want Natsu. Never think I want anyone else or even a different version of you, alright? I just wish… I wish…" Lucy said firmly, lower lip trembling as she struggled for the right words. Natsu brought her hand to his mouth, rough lips ghosting over her knuckles before pressing to the middle one solidly and his eyes falling shut.

"I know." he murmured against her soft skin. "I wish I was normal too."

"That is not what I was going to say!" Lucy cried out, rage burning in her eyes when Natsu looked at her in shock. "I love you, you stupid boy! Why would I ever want you to be 'normal'? 'Normal' doesn't exist, and even if it did it's boring! You're funny, and loud, and so optimistic and spread life like it's coming out of your ass! Who cares if you like fire and get into fights a little too often? How, how could I ever try and change you?" her plea had fallen to a coarse whisper, Natsu's eyes burning as Lucy let her tears fall freely. "I just want you to be _happy_ and _safe_ Natsu. It's not fair." She broke into a sob, chin tucking into the tops of her breasts and her fingers curling around his hand in a tight grip.

"Hey, hey, shhh. I'm sorry, please don't cry. 'Sides, isn't that supposed to be my line, Weirdo?" Natsu soothed, his free hand cupping the back of her head and leading her back to his chest. She punched at his shoulder weakly, small laughs breaking up her tears at his nickname for her.

"I'm not a weirdo." Lucy mumbled, Natsu's smile widening at the expected reply.

"You're my type of weirdo." Natsu hummed, the side of his head resting heavily on the crown of Lucy's.

"I'm yours, period."

Natsu's breath caught at Lucy's quiet words, her voice certain and sure. "I hate this." he growled, pulling her closer but also cautious of how fragile she was. Natsu felt like if he squeezed her too hard she would break, and there was no way he was about to risk losing any time he had with her.

"Me too." Lucy said quietly, leg falling between his and their feet tangling together once more. She raised her head when Natsu let out a barked laugh, eyebrows knit and eyes still red.

"You have a fucked up body and a perfect mind, and my body's basically indestructable but my brain hates me. Together we almost make a functional human." Natsu laughed again at the cruel irony. If he could, he would give Lucy his body in a heartbeat if it meant she could leave this hospital. Lucy gave an unstable giggle, joining in with Natsu as fresh tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"We complete each other. In the best and worst ways." Lucy hummed, a strange look crossing her face, lips sill upturned in a gentle smile. Natsu meet her gaze with one of confusion, his eyes growing large when Lucy leaned in and pressed her lips to his unexpectedly. His first kiss. Their first kiss. Natsu started into life once more when he felt Lucy start to pull back, his eyes pinching shut and his hand knotting in her hair as he moved his lips against hers. After a few more seconds he let her pull back, both looking at one another through cracked eyes and with flushed cheeks. "Let's go see the stars."

"Huh?"

Lucy smiled brightly, rubbing her nose against Natsu's and drawing a dopey -if confused- smile from the 18 year old.

"I want to see the stars." Lucy repeated, shuffling out of Natsu's arms and standing shaikly. Natsu was kneeling on her side of the bed in a flash and steadying her with a hand on the small of her back, Lucy grinning at him over her shoulder at the contact. He could see her clothes now as she turned to him, a pair of tiny sleep shorts to go with her three quater sleeved cotton top. The pink colouring of the sleeves matched her shorts, and Natsu smiled thoughtlessly at the little dancing flame on the white background of her shirt, words 'too smokin'' printed under it.

He also pointedly ignored how noticeably large her chest was.

Natsu let his hands rest on her waist, looking at Lucy with a concerned smile. "Okay, but you won't see much from the window." he said softly, tugging her closer so her knees bumped the bed and Natsu could wind his arms around her back in a loose hug.

"No silly. I mean on the roof." Lucy sighed.

Natsu looked at her blankly, impish grin lighting his features before it fell as reality hit him. "Luce, it's cold outsid-" He started softly, Lucy interrupting him with another kiss. She smiled at him as she pulled back, Natsu following her off the bed when she tugged his wrists and stepped back.

"You're always bugging me about going on adventures. We'll be like thirty seconds away from the staff," Lucy pushed, throwing her arms over Natsu's shoulders and hanging her weight on him slightly. "Come onnnn" she whined, biting her lip and looking up at him with large eyes.

It took Natsu's self control all of 0.3 seconds to disintegrate under her look.

"Fine," he grinned, laughing as Lucy smiled up at him before burying her face in his shoulder and wiggling happily. "But we're bringing all the pillows and blankets and your fairy lights." Natsu put on a mock serious expression when Lucy pulled back, Lucy returning his look with a nod. He pretended not to notice the delicate skill she had as she removed her IV's.

"Aye sir."

"Gotta be sneaky."

"Aye sir."

"Nin nin."

"You dork," Lucy teased, laughing loudly when Natsu lifted his scarf to cover half of his lower face and make a 'ninja' motion with his hands. Natsu smiled as he listened to Lucy laugh, the sound melodic and soft as it filled the room and his heart. Lucy's laughter faded and Natsu refocused on her warm smile, his own revealed when Lucy tugged his scarf back down.

The two broke into giggles and kissed once more, softer and more drawn out than others had been, sinking into one another and twining hands gently in the others hair. Natsu broke away first, gathering Lucy's blanket in one big crumpled mess and struggling to smile at Lucy over the top, pouting at her exasperated sigh and allowing her to take the blankets from him and fold them neatly. Natsu was now able to carry two thin blankets and Lucy's thick one, as well as two pillows while Lucy stood beside him with another two tucked under her arm and a book of fairy tales in her hand. Her mother's book. Her fairy lights rested over her shoulders.

Natsu interlaced his hand with her free one, balancing his load of bedding in one hand and giving hers a warm squeeze. The two couldn't stop sharing excited and conspiratorial looks as they snuck through the harsh white corridors, the hospital understaffed as usual and making their urgent secrecy more for their own imaginations.

They were at the stairs in only a few minutes, Natsu's joy dulling as he looked back at Lucy in concern. They had four more flights to go before they were at the roof.

"Well hop on," Natsu sighed in a put upon voice, bending his knees and releasing Lucy's hand. Lucy made to argue but bit her tongue at Natsu's sharp look, climbing onto his back diligently and wrapping one arm around his shoulder. Natsu groaned dramatically as he stood, grinning when Lucy swatted his shoulder and muttered threats under her breath. He loved getting her all riled up. She was cute when yelling at him.

Natsu was breathing a tiny bit heavier when he reached the last step, but no matter how much he joked lifting Lucy was almost effortless. He set her down just before the door to the roof, smile unconscious as he watched Lucy bounce with nervous excitement. They both rested a hand on the push bar, Natsu and Lucy sharing a knowing look out of the corner of their eyes and pushed together, silent words the only ones needed between the two.

Natsu draped an arm over her shoulder as they walked into the dark, stars faintly twinkling above them and undisturbed due to the hospital being the tallest building around them.

"Isn't is beautiful?" Lucy asked in awe, her arm slipping around Natsu's waist and leading him further out onto the concrete pad. Natsu made a low noise in agreement, eyes flickering to look at Lucy's glowing expression before looking up at the night sky. Maybe it was because he had her pressed against him, or where they were, but the starry patterns in the sky really _did_ look amazing tonight. The sky was inky with hints of blue, white and yellow dots sprinkled against it like powdered sugar and a full moon large and bright as it slowly crept across the sky.

They walked until they reached one of the generators, Natsu pumping his fist in victory when an outlet could been seen on the base. Tucking into the corner of it and a wall Natsu and Lucy made a nest out of several of the blankets and pillows, the fairy lights draped across the joint above them but far back enough that they could still see the sky. Natsu put his back against one pillow and spread his legs, Lucy settling between them and pulling the final plush blanket over them both as she nestled into his chest.

He smiled to himself as Lucy launched into random facts about the stars and planets that existed in the universe. His attention was caught at the one where it rained glass horizontally due to how strong the winds were. And he thought that giant hurricane or whatever on Jupiter was hardcore.

"You really love this stuff, don'tcha Luce?" Natsu asked softly, fingers playing with the tips of her hair. Lucy hummed in agreement and tucked her head into his scarf, curling tighter into his lap. "Then I'm gonna take you out camping and we can see the sky without all the city politicans or whatever." Natsu said in a matter-of-fact tone, nodding to himself. Lucy laughed weakly, hands fisting in his shirt.

"It's light pollution Natsu, and as much as I would love that, you know I can't leave the hospital that long." her voice was faint and Natsu's lips thinned at the sadness in her words.

"Then we'll go after. When you're better." Natsu refused to think of any other future. He couldn't imagine _not_ growing old with her. Not _living_ with her. Lucy was quiet against him, Natsu tightening his arms around her and crushing her to him. Maybe if he held her tight enough he could squeeze the sickness out of her. Or at least stop her from slipping from his grasp…

"Natsu…"

"No. Science and medicine have gotten a lot of progress since your mother passed away. There's, there's gotta be something. I w-was reading up on it, your disease. There's this doctor in like Alveraz that's developing a treatment. O-or something about nana bots. It's… You- you can't… You'll beat this Lucy. You're strong and _you have to beat this_." Natsu's voice was raspy and pleading as he finished, unable to swallow around a large lump in his throat. Damn it, he would fight _for_ her.

"Natsu!" Lucy's voice was clear as she cut him off, her head bowed and unable to meet his gaze. "Stop."

Natsu paled at her tiny voice, any strength that she had said his name with washed away like Natsu's hope.

"I got the results back. I, I was on one of those wild treatments, a last ditch effort." Lucy took a deep breath, exhale shaky and wet and sending another crack through Natsu's heart. It shattered when Lucy looked up at him with tears falling freely down her cheeks. "It didn't work."

Natsu swallowed sharply, shaking his head in denial. Lucy gave him a watery smile, gently running her hand through his hair and tucking a strand behind one ear. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his chest with both hands, holding onto her desperately. He opened his mouth to say something -anything- but Lucy beat him to it.

"I have six months at best Natsu. My body is shutting down and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it."

A soft 'no' fell from his lips, Natsu's eyes staying open and glazed even as Lucy kissed him. It couldn't be true… There had to be something… He couldn't lose her. He kissed her back deeply as it finally sunk into his bones, the truth of it. Natsu let Lucy turn around in his arms so her back was pressed flush to his chest and his arms wound tightly around her middle.

Heavy silence fell on them like an unwanted blanket sealing their cocoon, and Natsu bit harshly on his lip to stop it from trembling. He needed to be strong for her. He couldn't break, not yet.

"Hey Luce, what was that story about the dragon made of stars." Natsu just needed to think about something else, just… Needed to spend time with Lucy. His Lucy.

"Draco," Lucy hummed thoughtfully, shoulder's relaxing and hand squeezing Natsu's forearm grateful -but still cautious of his burns. "He was guardian of a tree of golden apples in Hera's garden…" she prattled off the myth, her voice soothing and melodic as she spoke. But it didn't distract Natsu, instead only reminding him that he would only hear that voice for 6 more months. Her laugh, her shouts, the gentle way she would explain anything to him. Just gone. She would be like one of the stars in the sky, disappearing without a trace to those far enough away, but creating an explosive supernova to those in her orbit. And God knew Natsu was well within the blast zone.

Tears fell from his eyes, Natsu not bothering to wipe his face clean as he vaguely paid attention to the sound of Lucy's voice. A flash of light caught his eye, and his tears fell harder as he realized a shooting star had just passed over them. He couldn't help but think that maybe if they were in a fairy tale that all it would take was a wish upon a star to make everything better.

But this was no fairy tale, and Natsu cried silently as he held the dying love of his life in his arms and listened to her talk about the stars she loved so much.

He only hoped he could join her among them one day.

* * *

 **A/N: So this took forever lol. I had meant to save it for angst week but then that blew by super fast and whoops. Was going to be for** Fairy Tale **day. At least I finally got my flow back kinda and finished it! Now on to all my other bloody projects lol…**

 **I only did the nalu due to time and sheer laziness. But seriously check out this song! So pretty! _Saturn_ by _Sleeping_ _At Last_**

 **Hospital!** **AU, Lucy is just a generic body-hates-itself-and is-attacking-itself disease, while Natsu's was based off of BPD. Open-ended but generally angst lol**

 **Y'all should check out the asethtic I made for it on tumblr, under not-just-any-fangirl . tumblr** **tagged/just-any-aesthetic :D**


	15. Boys Suck At Showing Emotions

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Gratsu brotp, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Canon, T**

* * *

"Do you think it looks nice?"

"Natsu I swear to god if you don't get out of that wedding dress Lucy is going to kill you."

Gray sighed heavily as Natsu sneered at him, still holding up the white material around him, uncharacteristically delicate as he fingered the lace and beading on the bodice.

"I just wanna know what she's gonna look like tomorrow." Natsu grumbled, looking in the mirror with a serious expression. Gray would have smiled at his best friend's thought process if he wasn't on high alert for Lucy, or Erza, or maybe even Juvia… You know what? If any girl in Fairy Tail caught them in Lucy's apartment and Natsu trying on her mother's wedding dress they would be dead. There would be a funeral tomorrow instead of a wedding between the dragon slayer and the celestial mage.

"Yeah well she's gonna look beautiful and you're gonna cry no matter what you try and imagine so we should get out of here before you burn something." Natsu shot him a sour look that had Gray rolling his eyes, but did as the ice mage suggested.

"Just 'cus _you_ cried at your wedding doesn't mean I'm gonna too." Natsu mocked, Gray grabbing a fistful of pink hair and dragging him away from the re-hung wedding dress that Natsu was tenderly stroking.

"Of course you will Ash Breath. You're more emotionally unstable than I am, and that's fuckin' saying something. Though I don't think you'll be as bad as a mess as Gajeel was…" Gray trailed off, shoving Natsu down the stairs that led up to Lucy's front door. Well, old front door. The landlady had allowed them to use the small apartment on Strawberry Street as a closet/Natsu free zone for the week before the wedding.

Gray walked calmly down the stairs and kicked Natsu's rib where the fire mage laid in an upside down heap, teeth bared in a snarl up at Gray even as he yelped in pain.

"Metal Face was a fucking _wreck_ it was hilarious." Natsu laughed at the memory. Gray rolled his eyes for hundredth time in the last half hour. He walked past Natsu, hearing the sounds of the young man scramble up and chase after him, falling into step easily despite their constant fighting.

Natsu and Lucy were the last to tie the knot, even if they had been the first to officially move in together and be engaged. Gajeel and Levy were already pregnant, something which had caused Lucy to push up the date of the wedding by 5 months. It had taken almost a year and a half for Lucy to find Aquarius's key, Natsu having trailed behind like a diligent puppy. He had refused to be separated from Lucy for such a long and unknown period of time, and Gray couldn't blame him after what had happened in the battle against Alvarez…

Gray shoved Natsu a little too hard for normal friends when he made another crack about Juvia not being the only waterworks at Gray's wedding 3 months ago, but Natsu took it in stride and smiled at Gray. Natsu had been his best man -Lyon and Loke pouting over that fact and getting drunk together- and he had honestly been touched by Natsu's insult ridden speech.

Which meant he had had to completely scrap his best man's speech and actual be real with it. Lucy probably would kill him if he was an ass on her special day anyway.

A quiet fell over the boys as they walked towards the guild hall, Natsu's hands crossed behind his head and Gray's shirt and jacket having disappeared a block back. "Hey, Gray?" The ice mage cocked his head in response, caught off guard by Natsu actually using his name. "You still wanna be my best man, right? I mean I could probably get Rusty or maybe Erza if you don't wanna do it or something," Natsu kept his eyes facing forward, but he was clenching his jaw the way he did when he was expecting a let down.

Gray slapped the back of Natsu's head and sent him stumbling forward, looking away with a small blush. "Idiot," he hissed. "Of course I'm gonna be your stupid best man, who else is gonna put up with your nerves the day before? Knowing you you're gonna get motion sick or something and set the field on fire." He smirked when he heard Natsu a mumble a weak 'would not'.

"How shitty is it that you're my best friend?" Natsu laughed, tone warm despite the harsh words. "Aside from Lucy, but I fuck her so that's different."

Gray gagged and laughed at the same time, Natsu grinning at Gray's snorts. "Not as shitty as the fact that you're _my_ best friend." he countered. "Lucy's a close second though," Gray mused as they stopped outside the guild doors, too busy running through the -surprisingly- long list of people Gray kept close to his heart to notice Natsu's mood darkening and a possessiveness growing in his eyes.

"Don't you fuckin' think of her like that you pervert!" Natsu roared, sending a confused and pissed off Gray head first into the Guild hall.

"That's not what I meant you flaming retard!"

"Juvia knew she had to be worried about Love Rival!"

"Natsu Dragneel what the hell is going on!?"

"Lushiiii he started it!"

* * *

 **A/N: I love me some gratsu brotherly affection, and of course nalu is mentioned :D**


	16. Natsu Is A Dork

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Canon, K**

* * *

"I always thought it would be you standing next to me at the alter."

Lucy smiled, no, _beamed_ at him, beginnings of tears in her eyes as tried to blink them away. "Me too Natsu," Lucy whispered, squeezing her hand around his fingers, matching silver rings already exchanged.

"Is this a dream?" he questioned in awe, blinking rapidly as he felt his own eyes water. There was so way he was that fucking lucky, that this could be real.

"If it is then I don't ever want to wake up." Natsu and Lucy shared a quiet laugh, cheeks starting to hurt from smiling for the past two hours straight.

"Natsu Dragneel?" A voice cut in, Natsu visibly starting and whipping his head to the source while ignoring Gray's hushed snickers to his left. Natsu sent his heel back blindly and smiled self-satisfactorily when he felt it connect and Ice Prick's chuckles turned into a hiss of pain.

"Yo?"

The entire church groaned at Natsu's lack of manners, but when his eyes flickered to Lucy he really couldn't care less. All that mattered was that she was rolling her eyes at him, lips twitching up dryly. She accepted him for all of his faults, just like he wanted her for all of hers.

"Do you take this woman to be your bride, to have and to hold, through sickn-"

"Duh, of course I take this weirdo for all of that. Lucy's the only one I'll ever want to be my wife." Natsu looked back at Lucy, unable to stop himself from grinning at that word. _Wife_. He was looking at his _wife_ right now, and gods did she look amazing.

Natsu's eyes widened when he saw a tear fall down Lucy's cheek, and he caught her as she launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and lips sealing over his in a demanding and passionate kiss.

"Yer 'posed to wait for the guy to say 'You may now kiss" Bunny Girl!" Gajeel heckled from further along Natsu's left, Natsu sticking his middle finger up in the metal dragon slayer's direction as he melted into his kiss with Lucy.

"Oh, whatever. I know pronounce you husband and wife." Natsu didn't notice how exhausted the officiant sounded, the entire guild making up for it as roars of applause and hollers surrounded them. Natsu scooped up Lucy, her legs kicking beside his head as she laughed loudly, their lips still pressing against each other's.

Natsu pulled back, a happy and almost disbelieving laugh erupting from his throat. "Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Dragneel?"

"Anywhere is home as long as I'm with you, Mr. Dragneel." Lucy said softly, fingers tangling in his hair as she looked at him. Natsu 'whooped' loudly, running down the isle and kicking the front doors of the church open.

He couldn't wait to start this new adventure with his Lucy.

* * *

 **A/N: Needed some fluff after angst week lol. Also, I see you trying to make me write angst nonny, but not today. Not today.**


	17. He Misses Ya!

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: Modern!AU, K**

* * *

"I'm sick of you taking the cat's side on everything!" Lucy seethed, glaring at Natsu with a shredded pink sweater in one hand and her other placed firmly on her hip.

"But Lucy, he didn't mean it!" Natsu whined, clutching a strangely bright blue cat to his chest, the feline looking at Lucy with wide, apologetic eyes.

"We have bought him literal BOXES of toys. And he has to sharpen his claws on my closet?" Lucy hissed, shaking her ruined clothing in front of her. She started pacing the length of their small bedroom, no more than ten steps across the entirety of it. Hey, a writer's pay check and the money from Natsu's odd jobs didn't exactly pay a whole lot of bills.

He looked down at the cat in his arms, and gnawed on his lip. Natsu had had him since he was a kid, even naming him Happy because of the joy the small kitten had brought to the orphanage. He couldn't imagine _not_ having Happy around every day, but this was the third time in five days that Happy had destroyed something of Lucy's… and she had already given up so much to be with Natsu, including all of her family's wealth and opportunities…

"I'm sure Gajeel would be happy to take ya," Natsu murmured to Happy, the small cat mrao-ing and nudging the hand Natsu was using to gently stroke his head with.

"What?"

Natsu looked up to see Lucy frozen midstep, brown eyes wide in horror as she met Natsu's. Her bun was falling from it's knot, wild blonde pieces framing her hollowed cheeks and puffy eyes. Had Lucy always looked so exhausted? "I was just talking to Happy 'bout who was gonna take him. Hey, maybe he'd like it with Wendy, you always liked that Charla, eh buddy?" Natsu forced a smile on, shoulders tense as he looked down at the sad cat.

"Natsu…" Lucy trailed off, slow as she walked over to Natsu and led him to sit on their double bed. "How could you ever think I'd want Happy to leave? He's a part of this family as much as you or me, it would just be… _wrong_ , to come home and not have him pounce me from the top of the fridge." Lucy reached for the blue cat, Happy purring and snuggling into her chest, nose pressing on her chin apologetically as his white tipped tail spiralled around her bare forearm.

"I just wish the little shit would stop destroying half my closet."

Natsu snorted at Lucy's pointed sigh, Happy feeling his apology was sufficient and slinking up her shoulder where he wound around her neck, secure and immovable once he was settled. Natsu chuckled in relief as he scratched Happy's chin, the soothing purrs obvious and pulling a smile even from Lucy.

His eyes lit up when he looked at Lucy, an idea of why Happy was acting out forming in his head. "He misses ya."

Lucy raised an eyebrow skeptically, one hand absent-mindedly playing with Happy's tail as her other laced with Natsu's. "You've been working on your latest book down at that cafe with the free wifi, right?" Natsu asked, continuing when Lucy nodded her head in agreement. "Well, he misses you! So he goes into your closet and curls up in all your shirts and shit, and then his claws get stuck or he gets bored!" Natsu beamed when Happy yawned, proud of himself -and having fallen asleep watching one too many Animal Planet documentaries.

"That's… actually kind of cute." Lucy hummed, resting the side of her head on top of the cat's as she bit her cheek in thought. "But there's no internet here, and I need that for research on my novel."

Silence fell over the tiny apartment, both Natsu and Lucy struggling to come up with a solution. Lucy was the first to break the quiet, pulling Happy from his perch and settling him in her lap as she leaned her head on Natsu's chest.

"It's getting nicer out, and the Flower Gardens offer free wifi in the park. I could probably stand to claim a bench daily and bring Happy with me to roam for a bit." Lucy played with Happy's ears as she spoke quietly, Happy chirping in agreement, a small sound that was suspiciously familiar to the word 'aye'. "He'd have to wear a bell." Lucy warned firmly, Natsu making a low and pleased noise as he hugged Lucy to his side tightly, another small 'aye' coming from an excited Happy.

"But no fish for a month! I lost my favourite sweater in his bid for attention."

Natsu grinned at Lucy's pout, Happy meowing mournfully and what Natsu imagined were the beginnings of tears in his eyes as he looked at Natsu for support. He mentally apologized to Happy, but he'd have to go along with Lucy on this one.

Especially if he wanted his girlfriend to become his fiancee. He was just glad Happy had left Natsu's sock drawer alone, the small black box would have been hard to explain to Lucy amongst piles of shredded clothing.

* * *

 **A/N: This was adorable and I loved it with all my heart**


	18. Hangover Sex

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating: modern!AU, M**

* * *

"What do you mean you've never tried hangover sex? It's like, an instant cure!"

Lucy slowly lifted her head from her hands, eyes glazed as they narrowed at Natsu. "Now who would I have ever had hangover sex with Natsu? And _who_ have you tried this with, exactly?" Lucy asked. Natsu's bright smile fell instantly, fear setting in as he scratched the back of his head and floundered with an open mouth for an answer. Lucy stood slowly, nausea threatening to make her run for the bathroom and splitting migraine making Lucy wished she lived underground.

"Because we've been friends since we were fifteen, dating since we were nineteen, and living together for the past six months. So I'll ask you again Natsu Dragneel, when did you _magically_ discover hangover sex? Because it sure as hell wasn't with _me_."

With each word Lucy had stalked towards Natsu, and now had him pinned in a corner at the back of bedroom. Far away from the door, and Natsu's hope for escape. "Lushii," Natsu whined, eyes wide with panic and hands held up in surrender. Lucy's eyes hardened at his plea. She was hungover as _fuck -_ thank you Cana and Mira Jane, the Dream Team from Hell- and did not need to know that the man she had referred to in her letters to her mother as her 'soulmate' had cheated on her. Lucy wasn't even so much as mad at _Natsu_ , the idea of him not being faithful too ludicrous to actually carry any weight in her fogged brain.

She was just _not_ in a good mood. And Natsu wasn't helping matters.

"Ok fine, so I haven't had hangover sex, but hangover jacking off is pretty fuckin' good!" Natsu defended, Lucy blinking at him in blank confusion. Natsu continued when it became clear he wasn't about to be murdered by his still-on-the-verge-of-drunk girlfriend at 9 am on a Tuesday. "It was Cana's suggestion! Remember that big ass party Fairy Tail hosted like three years ago? And Gray and I got into that drinking contest and got shitfaced, I mean I still beat Frosty's ass but whatever. Well I had a job interview the next morning and when Cana was kicking me out the door at like seven she told me about the hangover cure but you weren't ready, _we_ weren't ready for that and I wasn't about to have sex with you hungover because I'd be gross and you wouldn't like it and I definitely wanted you to like it because you're so hot when you cu-"

"Point." Lucy interrupted, swaying in her spot but unable to hide the small curl of her lips at Natsu's rambling. Even now she found it adorable, if irritating.

"Yes, point, aye sir." Natsu chirped, arms circling Lucy's waist almost subconsciously to steady her. "So I figured I could try it alone and did it in the shower and felt _so_ much better. And yeah, hangover cure found." Natsu finished lamely, matching Lucy's thoughtful look with his own cautious one.

"Did you think of me?" Lucy asked, Natsu blinking at her twice before breaking into a loud snort and pulling her into a hug, lips pressing to her forehead.

"Duh, you weirdo, who _else_ would I picture doing all those dirty and nasty things to?" Natsu hummed in a light tease, Lucy giggling tiredly as she sank into his embrace.

"I think you mean 'with'." Lucy shot back, pulling her head back and gently ghosting her lips over Natsu's large grin.

"Does that mean you wanna try and do them _with_ me now?" His voice had dropped to a rough purr, lips sealing over Lucy's and tongue tracing the seam of her mouth.

"You promise it's going to make my body stop feeling horrible?" Lucy peeked up at Natsu through half lidded eyes, lower lip pulled between her teeth and a coy smile bringing life back to her eyes. Natsu smirked devilishly as he lifted a squealing Lucy by her hips, bare legs winding around him and arms linking behind his neck and she snuggled into his shirtless chest.

"Oh, I'll make ya feel real _good_ , no worry there Luce."

* * *

 **A/N: I got two requests for this prompt so TADA! This was awkward and hilarious to write lol. Poor Natsu, always getting himself cornered.**


	19. Fate's a Bitch

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon Angst, T**

* * *

Natsu watched as the life drained from Lucy's eyes.

It was almost funny, that after all the fights they survived, all the battles and impossible enemies they faced -Natsu had taken down a god for fuck's sake-, that it would be the very future they had fought so hard to protect that destroyed them.

Or, the future they could never have.

"I, I don't understand." Lucy's whisper was dull and raspy, her motions slow as she looked at their doctor. Porlyusica actually looked sad as she looked down at Lucy, her usual hatred of humans overcome by the pity in her eyes. Her wrinkled skin was more washed out than usual, and her hair was faded further past the half way point between white than pink than Natsu remembered. She stood tall but her shoulders slumped as if her entire being was… tired. And who wouldn't be exhausted if they had to tell someone they could never have children?

"It's… my fault?" Natsu almost broke his neck looking at Lucy, eyes wide and vehement denial on his lips as he whipped his face to the left to look at his sitting wife. Porlyusica spoke first though, a sharp bark that had even Natsu flinching at the force behind it.

"Of course not you stupid girl! It's no ones fault, and if you keep thinking like that all you'll do is end your marriage and isolate yourself. This is just… how things worked out." Her voice lessened in severity as she finished, compassion filling her narrowed gaze. Porlyusica turned on her heel and gave them a small wave, walking through the door leading to her mixing room. "I'll let you brats have a minute. But you better not hang around all day."

Silence fell over the two as they were left alone in the room. Natsu struggled to think of something to say, anything that might pull Lucy back from the emotionless fog she seemed to be wandering in.

"She's wrong, you know."

Lucy didn't look at him as she spoke. Instead her chin was tucked down and her shoulders were hunched over her joined hands that sat limply in her lap. "It _is_ my fault. There's something _wrong_ with my body Natsu. This is the fourth time I lo-" she broke off in a sob, hands covering her face and body curling further into herself. As if she were trying to disappear from him.

"My body's too weak to carry a child."

Natsu dropped to his knees in front of Lucy. He was gentle but firm as he tugged her hands away from her face, eyes hollow as she refused to look at him. Natsu sighed, bringing their intertwined hands to his lips and brushing butterfly kisses over the knuckles of her hands, one at a time.

"It ain't your fault, Luce." Natsu stared at her until she finally lifted her gaze to him, only continuing after making sure she was listening. "Some people can't use magic. Some people can't have kids. Some can't whistle. Actually that's a stupid thing to say ignore it, I mean- It'll be okay. We have each other, and the guild. Plus we can always adopt, and then we can have as many as we want that way, right? Igneel adopted me, and I turned out alright." Natsu tried a smile, but it felt forced and fake to him, and he let it slip after a few seconds.

He wouldn't lie, the fact that he would never see Lucy holding a tiny pink or blue blanket with a mess of pink hair and wide brown eyes and Lucy's nose broke a part of him he wasn't expecting. It broke all of Lucy though, and he had to be strong for her.

"You'd be such a good Daddy Natsu." Lucy whimpered, grip tightening around his fingers and her lip trembling. "And- and I can't give you that."

Natsu sat next to her on the bed and pulled her into his lap, holding her shoulders when the shaking began and she sobbed into his shoulder. They had been trying for almost two years now, and each time had ended the same way. This last one though had sent to Porlyusica when the bleeding hadn't stopped, and what had lead to this conversation.

"Like I said, I'm still gonna be a Daddy, and you'll be the best Mommy ever! Hey, we can even pick out a cool hair colour, like a build-a-baby or someth-" Natsu said, forcing lightness into his voice in struggle to pull Lucy from her tears. He was cut off by her, voice tiny and striking a sick numbness in his heart at how broken she sounded.

"What if it's a sign? Like fate?" She questioned, nails digging into his arm when she held onto him and pulling her body tighter against his chest. "What if I'm not _supposed_ to have a family? I'm _broken_ Natsu and it's my _fault_ and you deserve better and…" Lucy shook her head against his shoulder, a loud sob racking her chest and making her body shudder against his.

"Fates a bitch and I already punched it in the face."

Lucy stilled against Natsu, both clinging to the other with desperate fists and trembling bodies. "I could never deserve better than you, Lucy." Natsu said forcefully, voice still tender but strong enough to make sure to leave no room for question. "And ya already have your family, me and Happy and the guild.

"You have me." Natsu cupped her tear soaked cheek, forehead resting on hers. "You'll always have me Luce."

"I love you." Lucy said softly. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, her fingers winding into his scarf like a safety line. Natsu feathered his lips over Lucy's abnormally dry ones, lifting a hand to cup the back of her head and leading her to rest in the crook of his neck again.

"I love you so much Lucy." he whispered into her hair, a few tears of his own slipping from his closed eyes. He kept whispering sweet reassurances, 'I love you's and 'We'll be alright's falling from his lips without thought. She sunk into his embrace completely when he held her tighter and spoke in a pleading voice. "Please stop blaming yourself."

"I'm sorry," Lucy whimpered. "Oh Natsu I'm so sorry." Fresh tears soaked into Natsu's scarf and wet his jaw, Lucy's arms strong and exhausted as they wound around his neck. Natsu ran a soothing hand along her spine, small circles allowing an outlet for his own restlessness. He needed to punch something, burn a clearing.

Lucy's fingertips were tender as they traced his face, wiping away his own tears and she struggled to smile at him, the light still gone from her eyes, but the brown wasn't as flat and empty as it had been before. They remained opened as she kissed him, mournful and heart breaking in the gentleness that they caressed Natsu's with. "You're so amazing." Lucy breathed, gaze warm and soft as she looked up at him.

"You are too, Weirdo."

Lucy's smile was genuine this time as Natsu whispered her nickname, her nose bumping his and pulling a tentative grin from him. His dark eyes brightened and he jumped up from the bed, dragging Lucy with him and pulling her into a tight hug. He even pulled a tiny giggle from her a he spun her around the room. Natsu beamed down at her, wiping away a remaining tear with a caress of his thumb as he spoke.

"I just thought of something Luce! We can adopt like, 30 kids!" His eyes widened and his voice dropped to a reverent whisper. "We can have an army of children. We can stage a coup."

"We are not going to militarize our children Natsu."

"Awwww, can we at least train them to bury Ice Dick in a mountain of children so he can't move?"

"… Maybe."

"You're gonna be a bitch ass mom Luce."

Lucy smiled and hugged Natsu tightly, clinging and shaking grip betraying her almost hopeful gaze. Natsu knew it wasn't going to be easy, and that there was still going to be sleepness nights and days of crying -from both of them- ahead. But he also knew that as long as they had each other, they would always have a loving family to come home to.

* * *

 **14: A Sad Kiss**

 **Word Count: 1401**

 **A/N; lol nonny u asked for angst well guess what. This happened.**

 **Triggerwarning for implied** **miscarriage**


	20. Lucy Makes Poor Life Decisions

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, K**

* * *

Lucy blinked, slowly and pointedly, before turning away from her writing and staring up at the pink haired boy who was nervously wringing his hands.

"What did you just ask me?"

"Lushiiiii," the boy whined, falling to his knees and and grasping at the wooden arm of the chair Lucy sat on the edge of. " _Pleaseeee_ , you're the only one who can help me."

"Gray?" Lucy offered, rubbing her temple in tired circles.

"Bastard laughed in my face."

"Happy?"

"Said 'he didn't have a death wish'."

" _Mira?"_ The boy snorted at Lucy's desperate question, looking at her with sharp and pleading eyes until Lucy slumped against the back of the seat. He crowed in victory, jumping up and crushing Lucy to his chest in a hunched over hug. Which he then used to drag Lucy from her chair -and her novel.

"I'm like 85% sure that's illegal but sure I'll help you." Lucy finally conceded, resting her cheek on his bare chest as the boy continued to dance around the room, dragging Lucy with him. "Natsu would you at least move your arm my hand is trapped!" she complained loudly, smile lifting the edges of her lips at Natsu's rushed 'sorry Luce'.

He pulled back for a second, his bright grin showing his pointed fangs and cheeks pushed so high they forced his eyes to close. Lucy's heart stuttered over the ever famous 'Natsu grin' as the guild had dubbed it, her body pulled against his under the gravity of his joy.

Until he slung her over his shoulder, jumping from the second story window to land on the cobbled street of Strawberry lane.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked loudly, banging on his back to put her down. His vest felt gritty under her hands, a sign she either needed to push him into the lake again or do his laundry. How the boy had survived without her, Lucy truly didn't understand sometimes.

He cackled under her long listed threats, ignoring Lucy's kick and punches as he trotted down the street. Lucy finally gave up, shifting so that his shoulder wasn't digging quite so badly into her hip bone. She waved at the baker as Natsu passed, sighing loudly as she watched the balding man shake his head and return to sweeping the front stoop with a smile.

"I can walk on my own you know." Lucy hissed.

"But you walk to slow, and you get distracted by shoes too much. I don't understand Luce, they go on your feet. Why do you care so much about things that go on your feet? Or are you one of those weirdo's who're into that kinda thing?" Natsu rambled, tone turning salacious and making Lucy squeak loudly.

"I am _not_ weird and I am certainly _not_ 'into that kinda thing' you ass." Lucy said loudly, kneeing his chest to accentuate her point.

"So mean." Natsu chastised, jostling Lucy as he resettled her on his shoulder.

"Why am I even doing this?" Lucy moaned to herself, pouting as she watched her beloved home get smaller with each step Natsu took.

"'Cus we're partners, Weirdo, duh." Natsu stated.

"Then why do I subject myself to this!" Lucy shot back, fighting down her smile at their bickering.

"You said it yourself, Luce! It's always more fun when we're together!" Natsu called easily, beaming at her when Lucy met his warm gaze. She felt her heart skip a beat again.

"I suppose it is."

* * *

 _"'Always more fun when we're together.'"  
_

 _"I said I was sorry!"  
_

 _"And I said this was illegal!"  
_

 _"You said eighty five percent illegal."  
_

 _"Natsu Dragneel so help me…"  
_

 _"Lucy you look scary when you do that with your face. Your eyebrow gets all twitchy and your nose scrunches up like a pig-AHHH!"  
_

 _"You two quit it _in_ there! Your guild master's on his way to pay your bail!"_

* * *

 **A/N; I honestly didn't mean to reblog that as a prompt thing but oh well! That was fun and short and a good prep before I get to my other writing!**

 ** _ ** **1) "I'm like 85% sure that's illegal but sure I'll help you."** **_**


	21. Natsu Tries Really, Really Hard, Okay?

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU, T**

* * *

Natsu Dragneel was a good person.

He paid his taxes. He volunteered at the animal shelter. He had only set the firehouse on fire half a dozen times, truly well below the expected value from his coworkers.

So what Natsu did not think he deserved from God, or Karma, or whoever decided to make his life hell, was to come home to a drunk Lucy. Lucy, the love of his life. Lucy, the woman who only viewed him as a best friend. Lucy, his roommate.

"Nashuu!" Lucy slurred, throwing herself at him and hanging off his shoulders. She smiled up at him dopily, Natsu frozen in the doorway. "Yer homeee!"

"Cana!" Natsu called, not taking his eyes off Lucy's flushed face. He glared when movement caught his eye, the brunette sitting up with a straight back from where she had laid between the ratty sofa and the coffee table.

"Yo!" she chimed, lidded gaze focusing on Lucy nuzzling into Natsu's scarf and his resulting heated cheeks. "Heh, looks like you've got yourself another cat there." Cana joked before falling back onto the floor and snoring loudly.

That damn alcoholic. "Hey Luce?" Natsu asked, trying to gently pry the drunk blonde away from him and failing. "Didn't we talk about agreeing to Cana's drinking challenges?"

Lucy made a noise a cross between a giggle and a sad sigh. "She 'idn't _challenge_ me!" Lucy exclaimed loudly, giggling when she covered her mouth and whispered a tiny 'shh' to herself. "It'as a game!"

God she was adorable.

"Luce," Natsu sighed tiredly, shaking his head.

"Nashu." Lucy sang back. She hung more heavily off him, eyebrows pinching in concentration and sending unease down Natsu's spine. "Make me purr."

Fuck.

Shit fuck.

Not this again.

"You're so drunk." Natsu groaned, ushering Lucy deeper into the apartment.

"You're not making me purr Nashu." Lucy pouted, patting the side of his face sloppily. Natsu assumed she was trying to pull his ear. "Cana's said I's your kitten. Don'tchu wan' me as your'itten?"

Natsu felt his face burn hotly. This was bad. So bad. He did not need to have a drunk Lucy looking up at him with large doe eyes and asking to be his 'kitten'. Before Natsu could help it the image of Lucy in white cat ears and large playful eyes and _a tail_ …

Fucking shit fuck.

This was really fucking bad.

Bad brain. Bad… _other_ parts.

"Lucy I think it's time for bed." Natsu choked out, voice cracking as he shifted his hips away from Lucy's. In his desperation to derail his current train of thought he forgot a very crucial piece about drunk Lucy.

"Nashuuuuu-"

Drunk Lucy was a crier.

"Shit shit shit, shhh, Lucy, it's okay Luce." Natsu consoled, patting her head awkwardly.

"Nashu doesn't want me to be his kitten." Lucy mumbled to herself, resting her forehead on his chest. Natsu groaned inwardly, staring at the ceiling desperately. "Mean Nashu."

"F-fine. Yes, Lucy, yo-you're my-" Natsu stumbled over the words, 'kitten' stuck in his throat like a chunk of steak he had forgotten to chew before swallowing. He couldn't. He couldn't say it. There was no way in fucking hell. Not that it mattered, because Lucy was suddenly pushing him against a wall, glaring up at him with unfocused and watery eyes.

"Mean Nashu," Lucy repeated. "Makes me angry. Makes'e wanna…" Lucy trailed off. Natsu jolted when her eyes sharpened on him again, returning from where they had wandered to his chest. "I'm gonna punch you in the mouth…with my mouth…gently…several times…."

Natsu banged his head against the back wall. Lucy was drunk. Drunk Lucy. She didn't know what she was saying, and it definitely didn't mean anything.

Natsu let his head fall dejectedly, pink bangs brushing into Lucy's own disheveled blonde ones. "That's called a kiss, Weirdo, and you're in no state to be askin' me for those." Lucy whined loudly and her complaints slurred into an incomprehensible babble as Natsu gathered her in his arms, walking down the short hallway between their rooms. He paused outside her door before turning into his own room with a shoulder pushed into the wooden door. Happy sat curled up on the edge of his bed, obviously having ran from the drunk girls long ago. He gave a soft 'mraw' to Natsu's quiet greeting, hopping from the tossed blankets and curling between Natsu's ankles.

Natsu set Lucy on his mattress, busying himself around the room gathering medicine and water to leave on the night stand beside his bed. Once he finished making sure Lucy would have everything she needed for the killer hangover she was sure to have, he turned his attention back on the drunk girl in question. He sighed as she continued to watch him.

"Night." Natu said quietly, starting to turn away and claim the couch for the night. At least if Lucy threw up it would be on his crappy sheets rather than Lucy's nicer ones. A soft tug on the back of his shirt stopped him, Natsu hanging his head without turning around.

"Stay. Please."

Lucy's quiet voice rang clearly in his head, and Natsu crumbled under the softness of it. A single thought crossed his mind as Natsu discarded his shirt and climbed under the covers, warily watching the dozing blonde's face as she curled into his side.

Maybe Natsu wasn't as good as he liked to think he was.

* * *

 **A/N; *tumblr shrug***


	22. More Than Words

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU, K**

* * *

"Alright, but you gotta promise you're not gonna be mad if I tell you what happened."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow, pausing mid-wipe as she cleaned the gash above Natsu's left eyebrow. She hummed in agreement, continuing on before she cleaned the soiled rag and tilted Natsu's face to look at the growing bruise along his jawline beside his right ear.

Natsu sighed before speaking again. "I got int'a fight."

"Really?" Lucy drawled sarcastically. "I thought you had thrown yourself down a flight of stairs for fun."

Natsu pouted at her words, flinching as he tried to cross his arms in front of his chest, freshly relocated shoulder forgotten momentarily. Concern flitted across Lucy's brow as she gingerly rubbed his bare shoulder, light massage helping the tender muscle. "Why were you fighting?"

There was no judgment in her voice. Lucy was usually the first to point out both the flaws and ingenious of his plans, and Natsu was shocked to hear such neutrality coming from his best friend. Embarrassment crept up under his skin as he avoided her look, unsure what to do under such trust and acceptance. Lucy didn't even know why he had fought yet, but Natsu knew in his bones that she wouldn't mock him like his other friends would.

"A group of guys were bashin' the center." Natsu admitted, peeking up at Lucy to see her eyebrows pinch and her lower lip pulled between her teeth. Lucy always bit her lip when she was upset.

"Not everything is your fight, you know."

Natsu shrugged, not knowing the words to explain himself. Fairy Tail was his home, the only people he considered family in his life anymore. How could he stand by as a bunch of assholes talked about them like they were trash? He couldn't stand it, something inside him just…

It didn't sit well with Natsu.

Natsu startled when he felt a weight rest gently on his shoulder, Lucy leaning into his body and leaning her temple on his shoulder. Gingerly, he wrapped an arm around her, swallowing heavily as Lucy settled further against him.

"They're my family too Natsu. You all accepted me, even if I'm taking up room someone else needs mo-"

"Your father is an ass and we're your family, ya said so yourself Luce. You belong at the center as much as any of us." Natsu cut Lucy off, glare fierce as he stopped her dangerous train of thought. I had been a struggle for Lucy to open up about her past, coming to a head when some members from a street gang had recognized Lucy from an heiress magazine and tried to kidnap her to extort money from her father.

Natsu had not taken it well.

Worse, actually, than he had when he overheard a different group of dickheads talking shit and planning to jump some of the kids that stayed at the centre. But Lucy didn't need to know that. Natsu had dealt with it.

He was _good_ at dealing with it.

"I don't like seeing you hurt." Lucy said quietly, her smiling falling from gentle amusement to a strainedness Natsu never liked seeing on her face. "It scares me. What if I'm not able to be there to help you?"

Natsu stayed quiet, bumping his forehead against hers. He grinned at the jolt of surprise his motion brought out from Lucy. She sure was skittish and weird around him lately. Natsu didn't really mind the light blush that coated her cheeks or the ways her pupils blew wide at their closeness, if he were being honest with himself.

The silence around them was warm and thick, slowing time like a bubble rising in honey. Thier own little piece of the world, sealed away from the rest of reality in the nursing station after hours.

Lucy closed her eyes and leant into Natsu, her nose brushing his as she relaxed. Natsu didn't really care how long they stayed like that. It was a perk of being bestfriends with Lucy. Sometimes, words weren't needed to show what Natsu needed or what he wanted to say.

He was pretty sure the feeling of his lips resting on hers was more than enough.


	23. Thunderstorm Revelations

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Canon, K**

* * *

Natsu sat in the center of the sofa, one of Lucy's books perched on his knee as he flipped through it absentmindedly. Lucy was always weird about him reading her stuff, and so he tried to wait until at least the third draft before sneaking a look at it. Lucy had been in a rut, however, and so Natsu was forced to reread her previous chapters to fend off his boredom.

Magnolia was all but shut down under the heavy thunderstorm outside, Lucy and Natsu trapped in her apartment on Strawberry Street as it had been closer than the guild. She had sent a lacrima message to the guild, letting everyone know her and Natsu were safe but wouldn't be going to the guild that day. Happy had been especially upset, needing to be talked down from flying through the storm by Lucy. Natsu had been forced to bribe the Exceed with the promise of all of Natsu's catch next time they went fishing.

Natsu sighed loudly, leaning his head against the back of Lucy's sofa and closing his eyes. She had been drying off for forever, and Natsu didn't understand why he couldn't have just dried her off himself. Lucy was so weird she had squawked and turned bright red at his offer, and now she was wasting time drying her hair when they could be playing cards.

A loud boom outside caught Natsu's attention, the thunder harsh and sudden when he wasn't watching the flashes of lighting outside the window. The lights flickered overhead, Natsu mentally threatening them if they went out. Lucy got all antsy in the dark with him, which bothered Natsu. She knew he would never try anything, didn't she?

Besides, it wasn't like Lucy was even aware of how Natsu felt.

Natsu cocked his head, tracking the soft padding of Lucy's socked feet walking towards him.

Another crack of thunder rang in the sky, and Natsu opened his eyes with a frown when he sensed Lucy tense beside him. She looked pale, half dried hair thrown in a messy braid and large shirt trailing to her mid thigh.

"Can we cuddle?" Lucy asked, voice timid as she looked at her hands clasped in front of her. Natsu opened his mouth to ask her why she wanted to cuddle when a third boom shook the small apartment, Lucy flinching and curling into herself at the noise.

"Course, weirdo." Natsu said instead, grinning at her easily. She smiled at him, shy and thankful in response as she slipped onto the couch beside him. Natsu shifted them around, his back now tucked into the corner of the couch and Lucy curled under his arm. She squeaked and pressed into his side firmly when the power shut off, the room falling into pitch blackness while the sky roared.

Natsu ran a comforting hand over Lucy's back, soothing her small shakes as he tried to think. It had never occurred to Natsu that Lucy might be afraid of thunderstorms, and frankly he didn't know what to say.

"You, er, alright, Luce?" Natsu asked, watching her face in the dark. The pale light coming from the window behind them was all Natsu needed to easily see in the room, but obviously from the unfocused expression she wore it wasn't enough for Lucy.

"I'm fine Natsu. Just… don't like thunder." Lucy tried to brush off, but another loud crack of thunder sent her head burrowing into Natsu's chest in fear.

"I think it's more than a little dislike there, Luce." Natsu commented dryly, tightening his arm around her and pulling her closer as he spoke.

"Oh shut up." Lucy exhaled, hand relaxing as she bickered with Natsu. He grinned to himself, proud his plan had worked. He tensed as he sensed the change in the atmosphere, squeezing Lucy tight as a flash of lightning lit up the room, quickly followed by the booming thunder. Natsu looked over her face, tracing the tired pinching and tenseness she held on her, thinking she was concealed by the dark.

Natsu ran his hand down her ribs, smirking when it got the desired squeak from Lucy. "Oh, are ya ticklish?" He purred, knowing fully well that she was indeed ticklish. Lucy tried to squirm out of his hold, cursing and threatening Natsu with denial to her kitchen as she did so. Natsu ignored her, the pair wrestling on the couch as Natsu attacked her ribs, large peaks of laughter and screams filling the dark room. They stopped when Natsu caught the scent of salt, and underneath that the light scent of Lucy's happiness. Everyone smelt different with different emotions, and a happy Lucy reminded Natsu of a field at dawn.

Natsu hummed happily when Lucy laid her head in the crook of his shoulder, wiping her face on his vest. The pair had ended up with Natsu on his back and Lucy tucked between his body and the back of her couch. The storm carried on around them, rain heavy on the roof and flashes punctuating the darkness outside, but Lucy seemed more relaxed now. Hidden from the world, her and Natsu escaping to their little universe for the moment.

Wow, Natsu needed to stop reading her writing so often, it had started to affect his brain with her weirdness. But then how would he find out what happened to the Dragon's son?

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy whispered, her breath fanning over the skin of his shoulder, where both his vest and scarf failed to cover him. Natsu hummed in his throat in response, shifting with Lucy as she settled deeper against him. "Thank you."

"For what Luce?" He asked, pausing his absent-minded stroking of her arm with his thumb.

"For helping me, for not making fun of me for being scared of a stupid storm. For being you." Lucy whispered, nose pressed tight against Natsu's neck. He became hyper aware of how her curves moulded against his body so perfectly, the feeling of her heart beat calling his own pulse to match. Her breath tickled Natsu's skin, goosebumps causing a gentle shiver to run through his body. He swallowed thickly, suddenly unsure of himself.

"You're my best friend Luce. I don't like seeing ya afraid of anything." His voice sounded rough, Natsu cringing at how close his words sounded to his thoughts. "'Sides, I'll make fun of ya later when the storms passed."

Lucy huffed a small laugh, hand curling into a fist on his bare stomach. She saw right through him, something only Happy had been able to do, and Lisanna briefly before. But not Lucy. No, it had taken her a week at most after meeting him to start to understand him. Maybe because she was the only one who had ever really tried to.

Natsu said nothing when he felt her shift, one hand lowering and resting on her knee, leg slung over his like he had seen her do to pillows in her sleep. Another shock of thunder rang outside, but Lucy barely flinched. Her breathing had slowed to match Natsu's, steady inhale with a slow and long exhale. Natsu let his face fall against the crown of her head, greedy as he took in her honey and vanilla scent. They would have to take a job soon, Lucy's expensive soaps and shampoos almost emptied.

On the bright side, Happy's fur was full and luscious now.

The peace lulled over him, Lucy's calm heartbeat pulling him to sleep and the rain a gentle backdrop despite its angry sounds as it hit the roof. But Natsu didn't want to sleep yet. Didn't want to miss time that he held Lucy in his arms for no other reason than to hold her.

"Hey Luce?" Natsu whispered, grinning as her small mewl in return. Her face turned more into the nook of his shoulder, nose pressed against his scarf as a pillow. "I can't feel my legs."

"Oh shut up, you ass," Lucy grumbled, fully awake. She moved over so more of her weight was pressed to Natsu's hips, her entire body eventually laying on top of his as she got comfortable again. "How about now?" She asked, smug lit making Natsu bite back a laugh. As if she didn't know he could lift her with one hand.

"Now I have a blanket!" He crowed, wrapping his arms around Lucy and trapping him against her. Her loud laugh and squeals as she half struggled in his arms sounded like the sweetest bells he had ever heard, pure joy and warmth washing over him from her.

"Well I have a space heater then." Lucy countered, giving up her attempts at escape and snaking her arms between his back and the sofa cushion, legs falling between his spread ones and body curling into his.

"Just usin' me for my body, eh?" Natsu teased, rolling his eyes at her exaggerated nod and hum in agreement.

"I have to admit," Lucy said softly, Natsu barely able to hear her above the rain on the roof, "it is a very nice body."

Natsu froze under her, mind crashing as he struggled to come up with a reason Lucy would say something like that. He made a gurgling sound when he couldn't find one.

"Natsu?" Lucy called, voice unsure and soft. Natsu hugged her tighter as he tried to swallow, mouth suddenly dry and his tongue feeling too big for his mouth.

"Uhh," was all he managed to say, and he cringed inwardly. Yeah, that was so articulate, just like how Lucy would spend long walks on their missions describing her perfect man. She'd try and get Natsu to describe his perfect girl -or boy she added quickly, who was Lucy to limit him?- but Natsu had always brushed her questions aside, saying he didn't need any stupid romance or love when he had Fairy Tail and monsters to fight.

"Is that okay?" She asked, voice less unsure but still not what Natsu would call confident.

"Uhhuhh," Natsu said again, biting his tongue sharply. She giggled at his noises, Natsu relaxing a bit despite his face feeling like it was on fire. "I, uh, like your body too." Natsu said, scratching at his temple as he spoke. Was it too much? To admit something like that in the dark as he held her?

"With how much you grope me I should hope so." Lucy said dryly.

"Oi!" Natsu squawked. "It ain't like I try to do that shit! It just kinda… happens." Natsu pouted. He really _didn't_ mean to touch her boobs and shit. He knew how uncomfortable it made her, and so Natsu tried his best to avoid it. But when a half naked best friend gets thrown at you, you're going to try and cushion her fall. It was just that Natsu always seemed to end up with a handful and a red handprint on his face for his troubles.

Lucy always bought him double meals though, as way of apology, so he didn't mind too much.

Lucy's light chuckles made him relax, and a sudden desire took over Natsu. For the first time he could remember, he _wanted_ to touch Lucy like that. He froze, unsure if this new realization meant he was overstepping a line just by holding her. What if she didn't feel the same? What if what she loved most about being his best friend is that he wasn't constantly chasing her like all the other guys?

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, worry in her voice making him sink deeper into despair. Here she was being concerned for him as he was debating if he was being a pervert by even cuddling her.

"Lucy," Natsu asked, mind screaming for him to stop talking but his mouth not listening, "Can I touch you?"

"What?" Lucy asked. Natsu closed his eyes at her voice crack. Gods he'd gone and fucked everything up. "Why do you- I mean- what?"

Natsu whined and snatched his hands from off her back, covering his face with his scarf. He wondered if facing the rain was _really_ that bad. A boom of thunder crashed overhead and Natsu struck that idea. He wouldn't leave Lucy alone to brave the storm.

"Natsu, why are you asking for permission all of a sudden? You have literally never considered my personal space before, so why now?"

"I dunno," Natsu mumbled through the scarf. At least Lucy mainly sounded confused, and a bit embarrassed. Not angry or repulsed. So Natsu was already ahead of the game in his mind.

"Is me touching ya bad?" He asked instead of letting it drop. Maybe it was the dark around them, the safety of knowing that Lucy couldn't peer into his soul and figure him out that let Natsu speak his mind. Or maybe he'd just gone completely weird like her.

Lucy stayed quiet for several long seconds, blindly reaching for Natsu's hands before leading them back to where they had sat on the small of her back. "No Natsu, it's not bad. I like how close we are. The casual touches and the way you drape yourself over me or just pick me up and drag me along on whatever crazy scheme you've come up with. All of it. It makes me feel safe and like I'm _home_."

Natsu swallowed thickly, letting his hands run along Lucy's spine as the heavy quiet of the rain and darkness of the room fell over them once more. Lucy shivered lightly under his touches, and something whispered far back in Natsu's brain that they weren't bad shivers. Fuck.

"I feel the same." He rasped, staring blankly at the ceiling as Lucy laid her head soundly on his chest, arms squeezing him tightly and knees tucking under his thigh.

"Good." Lucy whispered. Natsu let some magic seep into his hands, warming them as he continued to rub her back in slow strokes, letting his fingertips follow the ridges of bone along her spine or gently graze the dimples that let him know he was pushing how far south he could go. Neither of them were ready for that yet.

But Natsu had hope now that one day, they might be. And even better, they might be ready to acknowledge what they meant to each other. Right now though, under the rain and as Natsu held Lucy in his arms, this was enough. He smiled.

It was definitely enough.


	24. The Things We Do For Love and Kittens

**A/N;**

 **Pairing: Gajevy, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and rating: Modern!AU, K**

* * *

Levy blinked down at her boyfriend, who sat on the floor and was holding a kitten's paws above it's head as he made it dance. The kitten did not look amused but was also complacent as it allowed Gajeel to move it around, black fur similar to Gajeel's much wilder hair, white muzzle and scar over the right eye the only break in the dark colour.

"Um."

"Heya Shrimp! Look who I found at the shelter!" Gajeel beamed at her, though his seldom seen joy was tarnished by the fact that his eyes were bloodshot and he sounded like he had a broken nose.

"It's a cat." Levy said, feeling her heart swell as the kitten escaped Gajeel's hands only to climb up his side and nestle aginst Gajeel's chin.

"His name's Pantherlily," Gajeel said gruffly, scratching the kitten's chin as irritated red swells began to appear on the skin of his neck and jaw.

"Gajeel you're allergic to cats." Levy reminded gently, walking forward to kneel beside her adorable boyfriend. An adorable boyfriend that was about to need the emergency room.

"I don't care if I'm allergic, I bought him and we're keeping him." Gajeel defended, scooping up Pantherlily and holding him protectively against his chest.

"You're going to die over a kitten?" Levy asked, reaching out and scratching Pantherlily between his ears. The kitten purred, and Levy knew she was lost.

"Yes." Gajeel answered, eyes serious as he stared down Levy. Levy patted his head as she stood with a sigh. He must be dead set on it, because he only forgot how intimidating he was when he was hyper-focused. He usually made a point of never intimidating her after their… less than amicable first meeting.

"Well it's a good thing Lily is so cute."

"His names _Pantherlily!"_ Gajeel called out in indignation as Levy rummaged through the first aid kit they kept in the kitchen.

"Lily," Levy sang back, smiling as she closed the kit after finding what she needed. Lily meowed happily, the sound lower than she was expecting. Levy cooed to a sulking Gajeel and the squirming kitten, Lily scrambling from Gajeel to make his way to sit on top of Levy's head. "He likes me!" she giggled.

"'Cus he has good taste," Gajeel said as he nodded in approval. "I was his favourite at the shelter too- _oh fuck woman!"_

Levy snickered at Gajeel's shout, pulling the EpiPen out from Gajeel's thigh and capping it. His skin was already starting to de-swell, though his glare looked murderous as he pouted.

"You're the one who wanted a cat." Levy shrugged. "And I already love Lily more than you, so it's a good thing you're used to be poked with so many needles."

Levy tugged gently on the bar in his right ear for emphasis. She squealed when Gajeel tackled her knees and pushed her onto the couch, threatening in his playful growl that he was going to stick _her_ for being such a smart ass. Lily watched silently from his perch on top of the couch, already used to Gajeel and Levy's antics.

Who would have thought a kitten would be the most mature member of their little family?


	25. Oblivious Doesn't Mean Stupid

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, K**

* * *

"Sorry, were you sleeping?"

"Is that my shirt?"

Natsu blinked up at Lucy, both having spoken over the other. Natsu had started when he felt the bed dip behind him, and now he was faced with the sight of Lucy bathed in moonlight from the open inn's window, one knee on the bed. In his shirt.

He swallowed thickly around his suddenly dry mouth and fat tongue, mind processing Lucy in _his_ shirt. Her chest stretched it out when the fabric sat tight across it, but it swam around the rest of her body and hung loose off her shoulders in ways that tempted Natsu's eyes to move in ways that went from 'friend' to 'creep any normal girl would rather sleep on the floor than be within five feet of'. He finally drew his attention away from things he was _not_ supposed to be focused on, watching her blush and fidget above him in embarrassed agitation.

"W-well, if someone hadn't of burned my bag I'd have more clothes to wear to bed, wouldn't I?" Lucy spat. Her cheeks puffed out in the way they did when she was angry with him, but not angry enough to throw a book.

"Well if _someone_ hadn't thought it would be a good idea to play with baby farres then I wouldn't have needed to use my magic at all!" he defended, smiling widely when he watched her pout further. She knew he was winning, and Natsu could imagine her stamping her foot in irritation. He'd seen her do it once too. She was _adorable_ when she was angry with him.

"Just shut up and quit hogging the bed." Lucy grumbled. Natsu smirked as he scooted over, lifting the thin blanket for her to slide under.

"Not my fault they were so fluffy." Lucy mumbled under her breath. Oh, she was so silly, forgetting about Natsu's sensitive hearing.

"And was the mommy farre fluffy?" he asked, innocently. He snickered when she stiffened, back turned to him.

"Shut up," Lucy repeated sourly. She yanked the blanket tighter around her, Natsu rolling his eyes. As if he needed a blanket to keep warm. Long minutes of silence passed then, Natsu narrowing his eyes when he watched a soft shiver trail through Lucy's body, curled in the blanket as she was. Realization dawned on him that it was the cold that had spurred Lucy's blanket stealing, rather than pettiness. Okay, maybe 75% cold, 25% petty. But still, too high of discomfort for Natsu to allow when he had an easy solution.

Natsu wrapped his arm around Lucy's middle, pulling her body flush to his. He ignored her soft yelp as he focused his magic to his skin, warming her and the air around them. Natsu smiled when she relaxed against him, even pressing back into his hold as her body chased the heat that he made. To think, Lucy had nearly choked when Natsu had accepted the single-bed room from the innkeeper!

"Better?" he asked, voice lower than he meant to be. He cleared his throat awkwardly, focusing on the honey and lavender scent that surrounded him, his nose pressing into Lucy's hair as he took a deep inhale. Lucy shivered in his arms again, and Natsu furrowed his brow. She should be nice and toasty in his embrace, so why was the cold still bothering her?

"Yeah," Lucy rasps, and Natsu has to repress his own shiver at what her voice did to him. Now was not the time for unwanted advances, and Natsu would rather be well rested without a fucked up neck from sleeping on wooden floorboards for their mission tomorrow. "Thank you, Natsu."

Natsu swallowed thickly again, grunting in acknowledgment, not trusting his voice to be the right pitch. He squeezed her hand when he felt her fingers tangle with him. Natsu ducked his head further into her crook of her neck, grinning against her silky hair when he heard her gentle snores and felt her breathing even out, back expanding steadily into his chest. Natsu too found his way to sleep, curled tight against Lucy and sharing his fire with her. He knew the one bed would come in handy.

* * *

 **A/N; Love me some good old fashioned nalu! And what's nalu without bed sharing on a mission? And bickering? And blushing?**


	26. Crazy

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Cagura, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, T**

* * *

Cana was going to break something.

"Maybe I'm just crazy!" Kagura shouted, lips pulled into a thin line and hands folded tight over her chest. She was really pissed. "But I'd rather not bury my girlfriend before our wedding!"

But so was Cana.

"You knew what I was like when you proposed!" Cana spat, slamming her beer bottle down on the table counter top. She was fine! She knew how much she'd drank. Five, six… it couldn't be more than nine. But she was fine. Cana knew her limits.

"It's gotten worse," Kagura hissed, words pushed between her teeth. She uncrossed her arms, hands falling limply to the side. Cana felt fear build in her stomach for the first time since she can remember. They've fought before, but never like this. And Kagura had never looked so… defeated. "I don't know how much longer I can keep watching you do this to yourself."

The words cut through the air like one of her blades, piercing Cana's chest and pining her to her spot. "What?"

Kagura shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself, making herself smaller. It was so _unlike_ her, and Cana felt the fear bloom into full-out panic, stealing her breath and making the world tilt before her eyes. "Babe?" Cana tried again, taking a few shaky steps forward. This wasn't happening. "Kagura."

"I'm going to stay at Mermaid Heel for a few days," she whispered, walking past Cana and her outstretched hand, chin tucked. Cana still saw the wet trails down her pale cheeks though, dark hair unable to hide her face completely. Cana stared at the spot Kagura had stood, distantly registering that her fingers were shaking before her face and she felt hot wetness drip from her chin. "I love you."

And then the door clicked shut.

* * *

 **A/N; :***


	27. Be A Doll

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Bixanna, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, K**

* * *

"You think you're funny?" Lisanna asked, arms crossed over her chest as she pouted down at her boyfriend. And when she said pouted down, she meant pouted _down_. Because he had her floating above him, in the middle of the guild hall.

"I sure do," He grinned.

"I sure do! I sure do!" Lisanna rolled her eyes at the chiming of his dolls, only three disembodied voices echoing around her as two were busy holding her up by her shirt. She kicked again, knowing it was futile. The dolls danced around her head, mocking her.

"I'm taller than Levy!" she pointed out, waving off the blue haired girl's offended 'hey' and Gajeel's indiscreet snorting.

"But you're tiny enough my babies can lift ya!" Bickslow leered, grinning up at her. His eyes glowed green, helmet beside him on the bar counter as he conducted his flying wooden dolls with a lazy finger. "Small enough to be my doll."

"If you change my sister into one of your puppets I will pin you by your throat to the bottom of the nearest pond." Mira Jane called, smiling sweetly as she wiped the steam off of a clean cup.

"Nah," Bickslow waved off, crooking a finger to bring his dolls -and Lisanna- back to him. They all flew away, dropping her in his lap with a small shriek, all five giggling as they disappeared to wherever Bickslow kept them. "I like her better like this anyway, ain't that right doll?"

Lisanna rolled her eyes again, but smiled as she returned his smug kiss anyway.

* * *

 **A/N; I love this couple! So cute!**


	28. The Wrong Thing To Say

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon angst, K**

* * *

"I said I was sorry!" Natsu said, desperate as he looked over Lucy. She was turned half away from him, arms hugging herself tightly, teeth digging into her lip so harshly Natsu feared she'd break skin and her eyes squeezed tight.

"I _know_ you're sorry," Lucy whispered, "but that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"I needed to be alone, after losing Igneel, and almost losing the guild-" Natsu explained, _again_ , but he jerked back when Lucy whirled on him, eyes flaring with rage and cutting him off.

"You weren't the only one who lost someone!" she yelled, storming him and shoving her finger in his chest. "I _sacrificed_ Aquarius' key! I destroyed her bridge to this world, willingly! To save the guild! And then I lost them anyway."

Natsu froze. "I didn't know-"

"No! Because you left!" Lucy hissed, turning away from him and walking several steps before stopping. Natsu watched, hands limp beside him as she turned around. Her eyes were tired, tears spilling over her lash line and Lucy doing nothing to stop or hide them. "You and Happy left. You didn't need to be _alone_ , you needed to get away."

"Lucy," Natsu said, stepping towards before stalling at her sharp look. "I couldn't _not_ take Happy."

Natsu knew what he said was wrong the second the words left his mouth. His heart leapt into his throat, suffocating him as pain flashed through her brown eyes, usually so warm and kind but now so cold. Like she were looking at a stranger.

"But you could not take me."

"Lucy," Natsu tried again, finally feeling tears prick his own eyes. He was losing her. No. He had started losing her the day he left without anything but that damned letter to say goodbye.

"Just admit it," Lucy spat, tears falling down her face in thick streaks, but her eyes fierce and clear as she looked at Natsu. "You don't want me."

* * *

 **A/N; listen I am still bitter about the time skip and how it was handled over all.**


	29. Let's Go Home

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Highschool!AU, K**

* * *

"You need to go."

"But Lushi, your bed's so warm," Natsu complained, cuddling in deeper under her blankets and squeezing her pillow to his chest. It smelt like her, soft and warm and like _home_.

"And Jude's home earlier from his trip!" Lucy hissed, trying to drag Natsu out of his nest, groaning when he refused to budge.

"So? It ain't like me being here is new." Natsu grumbled, cracking open an eye to look at her pointedly.

"I'm pretty sure his sixteen-year-old daughter sleeping beside her _male_ best friend is not something he'd allow." Lucy retorted, huffing as she stopped tugging on the blanket. "Natsu, I'm serious," she whined, fisting her hands on her hips. "He'll ground me and then I won't be able to see you for like two weeks!"

"You'd see me at school, duh," Natsu said, hugging his pillow tighter. It was midnight and he wanted to _sleep_.

Lucy snorted, sitting on the edge of the bed and giving Natsu a rueful look. "Jude's grounding means I'm not allowed to leave the house. For any reason."

Natsu sat up, anger and shock hitting him solidly in the chest."I'm pretty sure that's illegal Luce." Lucy shrugged, saying nothing.

"I have an idea."

Lucy looked at him cautiously, not saying no but Natsu could see it on the tip of her tongue.

"Come stay with me and Igneel."

"Natsu I can't just _run away_." Lucy sighed, giving him a sad smile. She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. "But thank you for the offer."

"I mean it Luce. Igneel's gone more often than you're dad as a fighter pilot in the Fiorian Air force, but he won't mind. Plus Happy loves ya! Come on Luce, it'll be like an adventure." Natsu pushed. He knew living with her father made her miserable, but this was the last straw. Who refused to let their child go to school?

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked after several tense minutes of silence. She was tentative, but Natsu could hear the joy underneath and the hope. He nodded, grinning at her brightly.

"I'm sure, weirdo." Lucy giggled, eyes dancing before she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. Natsu blushed, but returned the embrace just as eagerly. "Now let's pack you a bag and get you home."

* * *

 **A/N; Have some innocent fluff!**


	30. Easier

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; ?, T**

* * *

"I don't want you."

Natsu watched Lucy take a step back, eyes wide and lip trembling, as if he had actually hit her. Natsu's stomach turned at the thought. Hurting Lucy was something he could never imagine doing, and yet it was what he seemed to constantly do. In fact, he was doing it right now.

"You're lying." Lucy whispered. She seemed to be mustering all the courage that she could, but Natsu could still see the trickle of fear in her chocolate gaze. And it _killed_ him. Didn't she know he was lying, that he didn't mean it? Was he really so horrible that she doubted her place in his life?

"No, I'm not. I don't want you. As my lover, my partner, my friend. Nothing." Natsu said, voice hard and low. He was impressed his voice didn't break, that all the emotions and fear that he held inside weren't spilling out of his very pores.

"You're lying," she repeated, hands balling into fists beside her. Natsu watched as all doubt was burned from her eyes, soul flaring wild and hot and _angry_.

"I'm not lying Lucy, gods, can't you get it through that pretty skull of yours? You mean nothing to me."

Natsu looked away. He couldn't watch her as she cried anymore, couldn't watch how his words cut her. It was the only way, if he made her hate him then she wouldn't be sad when he died. Either by the cancer his brother's experiments had put in him or Zeref's hand itself, it didn't matter. Nastu was going to die, and he'd rather go to hell than drag her soul down with him.

Natsu stepped back with a gasp, cheek throbbing where Lucy had slapped him. He touched a finger to the burning skin, gaping at Lucy. She'd _hit_ him.

Gods did he love her.

 _"Stop lying._ " Lucy snarled, crowding into his space, eyes bright and furious as she looked up at him. "You're a terrible liar." she spat.

Natsu pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to glare down at her. He had to keep this mask on. It was for the best. It had to be.

They stared at one another, tense and challenging, willing the other to back down. Natsu snapped his gaze away when he realized neither were going to cave. It was good to know his stubbornness had rubbed off on her.

"Why can't you just hate me?" Natsu mumbled under his breath, rubbing at his temple as he closed his eyes. He should've known this was a stupid plan. When did Lucy ever abandon a friend?

He looked up at the ceiling, water stains discoloring the wooden beams several feet above them, Lucy's arms tight as she crushed her body against his. "Because I love you."

"You shouldn't."

"Don't tell me what to do," Lucy said, squeezing hard enough for Natsu to feel his ribs shift inside him. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly as he buried his nose in the top of her hair. Despair clutched at his heart. He _had_ to live for her, he couldn't just leave her now. "We'll figure something out, Natsu. I'm not letting you go."

It would have been so much easier if she just hated him.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **A/N; Angst angst angst.**


	31. Lucy Vs A Paper

**AéN;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; College!AU, T**

* * *

"Natsu," Lucy whined, throwing herself over his lap. "Pay attention to me."

"Lucy you were the one who kept nagging my ass to do this essay," Natsu grinned down at her, rolling his eyes as she felt her cheeks puff in a pout.

"That was seven hours ago Natsu." Lucy said pointedly. She clambered more fully into his lap when he pushed the coffee table further away, making room for Lucy. Lucy made a happy sound as she straddled his lap, arms wound around his neck and fully taking his attention away from his paper. Which was due in a week. Natsu had plenty of time to finish, if Lucy had learned anything from watching him panic-write five to ten-page essays the day before they were due throughout his scholastic career.

"I was in the zone," Natsu shrugged, resting his hands on Lucy's hips. The carpet itched at her bare knees, but Lucy couldn't really care when he was looking at her so sweetly, open and warm. It made Lucy melt in his hold.

"Well I missed you." Lucy said. She knew she was being silly, but Natsu grinned brightly at her and she found she didn't really care.

"I didn't go anywhere, Weirdo," Natsu teased. He leaned forward, rubbing his nose against hers and Lucy giggled at the action.

"You have to make it up to me. Sorry, I don't make the rules," Lucy teased back, wiggling in his lap as his fingers threatened to tickle her. They resettled on her hips, sneaking under her shirt to rest on bare skin.

"I do, do I?" Natsu asked, lifting an eyebrow at her and grinning. Lucy hummed as she nodded in exaggeration. "And how do I do that?"

"Tell me you love me."

Natsu beamed at her, laughing before lifting her chin and ducking his head down, brushing his smile over hers before pulling back. "Alright, I love you."

"Again," Lucy sang, kissing him.

"I love you."

"I don't think I got that."

"I love you."

"Mmmm, one more time."

"I love you, you weirdo!" Natsu laughed, hugging her tightly and sealing his mouth over hers, trying to kiss her but unable due to both large grins. Lucy squeaked and giggled against him, high chimes melting into a moan when Natsu dropped his hand, squeezing her ass with a possessive hand. Lucy lifted her head when she felt Natsu drag his tongue along her neck, sharp teeth nipping at her collarbone and make her breath stutter at the jolt of pleasure.

Lucy eyed Natsu's abandoned laptop, screen saver a series of photos from their road trip last year. She stuck her tongue out at it, victorious as Natsu led her to lay on the floor.

As if a stupid thesis paper would keep Lucy from her Natsu-time.

* * *

 **A/N; theyre so gross god I would die for them**


	32. Act As A Team

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Gajevy, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, T**

* * *

"Are you fucking insane?" Gajeel snapped. He yanked her down by her shirt, crouching behind a crate as dark mages kept throwing spell after spell at them. "I told you to stay outside!"

"And leave you in here, alone?" Levy hissed back, ducking under his arm when a column of sand shot at where her head had been peeking around the corner of their shield.

"Yes."

"No!" Levy gasped, offended. "If you would just believe in me and know I was strong enough then we-"

"Oi!" Gajeel cut her off, eyes narrowing at her. "The fuck you on about?"

"I know you didn't want me holding you back," Levy said flatly, squeaking when a barrage of metal bees broke through the wooden crate and nearly missed her head. Again.

"You're too smart to be sayin' somethin' that stupid, Shrimp," Gajeel grunted, pulling Levy into his lap so at least he'd take a hit to the chest before something fucking _decapitated_ her.

Levy's eyes narrowed up at him and Gajeel shoved aside the idea of how cute she was when she was pissed off at him for another time when it wasn' two on twenty. Gajeel pushed his head above the crate, roaring a swirl of iron shards and pure magic at the biggest clump of dark mages, laying eight out flat and sending another three through the wall.

"The team needs ya to be able to decipher the text of the scroll when we finally get it, and I don't need ya getting injured. I'm yer wall, Shrimp. Use me."

"No!" Levy spat, turning in his lap and gripping his face with both hands. "You said it yourself, we're a _team_. We are partners, and I will _not use you_."

Gajeel blinked, mind spinning from the sincerity in her bright eyes. He stumbled over his tongue, metal piercing hitting the back of his teeth as he tried to think of what to say. "Now cover me as I take out these bastards."

Gajeel squawked when Levy jumped out yelling words and signing with her hand, throwing magic at weakened roof beams and dark mages, leaving Gajeel to scramble and curse after her, bullets of metal shooting from his fingers at anything that _looked_ at her wrong. He returned her bright grin when she ducked and allowed him to pin a girl to the wall with his iron pillar. This was going to be _fun_.

* * *

 **A/N; Pre-relationship nonsense!**


	33. Reassurance

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy tail**

 **Genre and Rating; College!AU, K**

* * *

"You love me, right?"

"What did you do?" Lucy asked, dipping her spoon into her mug of tea. Wait, no that was her pen. Dammit, not again.

"Lushi," Natsu whined, throwing himself over her shoulders. Lucy was thankful that he was too busy being dramatic to notice her slip up. He already lectured her about overworking herself as it was. "I didn't _do_ anything."

"Then why are you asking such a silly question?" Lucy asked, clicking her pen and writing down another plot point she wanted to add to the next chapter. She liked the noise of her pen moving over paper, it felt more _real_ than her keyboard clicking as she typed.

"I dunno." He mumbled, pulling away and slinking to her bed. Concern flashed in Lucy's mind, her notebook forgotten on her desk as she swiveled in her chair to look at Natsu. "Just wanted to make sure, I guess." he said into his scarf, sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed. Lucy stood from her desk without thinking, sitting next to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I love you Natsu, talk to me."

Lucy sighed under her breath when he shrugged his shoulders, pulling him against her chest. "You haven't said it for a week."

"Whar?" Lucy asked, pulling back and gawking at Natsu.

"You haven't said you loved me in a week," he repeated, eyes fixed on her arm.

"Oh, Natsu. I love you. Of course I love you, my silly dragon," Lucy cooed, hugging him tightly to her chest and burying her face in his hair. "I'm sorry I got distracted with work and my novel and school. I love you so much Natsu, even if I forget to say it sometimes."

"Okay," Natsu said, arms curling tight around her middle as he nuzzled more into her. Lucy laid back on the bed, running her hands through his pink and fluffy hair. She smiled when she felt his fingers rub soft circles on her skin where she shirt didn't cover her. For as tough as Natsu acted -and was- she forgot how much he needed reassurance too sometimes. Reassurance that she would give over and over again.

* * *

 **A/N; More fluff!**


	34. Home

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, T**

* * *

"You smell amazing."

"And you're drunk," Lucy sighed. Natsu furrowed his brow, watching the cobblestones they walked over. Natsu stumbled, catching himself with the help of his arm thrown over Lucy's shoulders already.

"Am not," he argued. He looked over, grinning when he saw her roll her eyes. Lucy was so cute when she was mad. But why would Lucy be mad? Fairy Tail had just thrown a _huge_ party, drinking and dancing and fighting everywhere! In fact, Natsu could see the sky start to change colour as the sun started to think about rising.

"Uh huh," Lucy said, huffing as she readjusted his arm around her shoulders. Natsu grinned widely when he realized her arm was around his waist and she was holding the hand of the arm over her shoulders. Like a date!

Except the boy was supposed to have his arms around the girl.

"Natsu what are you doing?" Lucy whined, stopping Natsu as he tried to readjust them to be proper.

"Fixing," he said simply. Didn't Lucy know they were doing this wrong? She was so weird. Natsu loved how weird she was. Natsu loved her.

Natsu loved Lucy.

"Why are you grinning at me like that?" Lucy asked, curious as she blinked up at him. They were in the right position now, Natsu's arms securely wrapped around her waist and pulling her tight to him, though her arm was also around his. But Natsu stood up straight again, wobbly as he walked but wanting his full four extra inches on Lucy back. She was even prettier when he could look at her from this angle. How did he spell angle? A-n-g-e-l? No, that was angel. Heh, Lucy was his angle angel.

"Cus you're an angle," Natsu crooned, laughing to himself. He was so clever.

"I don't even know what that means." Lucy mumbled to herself, shaking her head as she looked straight ahead. "But you're definitely not fit to be home alone. Gods, what if you drowned in your own barf? Happy would never forgive me."

"You wouldn't be sad if I died?" Natsu asked. His stomach dropped out. But Lucy was his bestfriend? How could she not be sad? He'd be so sad if Lucy died. He'd be the saddest. Natsu's vision grew blurry as he thought about it more. The black shadow dagger, slipping through his fingers. He wasn't fast enough. He'd lost her. Lucy. He'd lost Lu-

"Hey, Natsu, oh, Natsu of course I'd be sad, please don't- I- I don't know what to do if you cry, Natsu please," Lucy rambled, warm pressure on his face, grounding him. He blinked, and Lucy was there. Worry made her eyes bright, like that fancy chocolate glaze Mira made at the guild, and her mouth was partly open as she focused only on Natsu. He liked it, her pretty face so close to his. Her lips were really pretty too.

"Lucy," he breathed, holding the hands that cupped her face. He leaned forward, burying his face into the side of her neck, soft hair acting like a pillow. He always woke up to it first, either the crown or back of her head, golden colour the first thing he saw. Yellow was his favourite colour now. And vanilla and honey was his favourite scent.

Natsu breathed in, taking it in. Lucy had the best smell. Underneath the layers of guild and booze and other people, Natsu could always find it. "You smell amazing, Lucy," Natsu said again. He pulled her tightly to him, hugging her to his chest as he allowed her scent to swallow him. "Home."

"You wanna go home?" Lucy squeaked, voice raspy. The cold air probably wasn't good for her throat, and he didn't want her to get sick and miss the Rainbow Tree festival again. The town mayor would kill him if he uprooted their tree one more time.

"'m home." Natsu said. He picked up Lucy, the world spinning in front of him before he was able to find only one lamp post in front of him. That was better!

"Natsu put me down before we both die!" Lucy lectured, swatting his chest. Natsu grinned at her. She was so cute when she pouted like that. Like a little frog.

"Nope," Natsu said proudly, walking along the cobblestones. He should probably take Lucy back to her house, but he was already home. His pretty, blonde home.

* * *

 **A/N; I adore already fallen Natsu and drunk minds are so fun to write!**


	35. In Chains

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Gruvia and One-sided Invia, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon Angst, T**

* * *

"This would be easier if you would stop fighting it."

"Juvia will never stop fighting you." she snarled, hand twisting the metal around her delicate fingers, palms rubbed bloody from her struggle. "Juvia's beloved is coming for her."

"And if he does I will take your mind and make you kill him. You couldn't really kill someone you love, it would make no sense. So then, you will see that you do not love him, and in fact love me."

"Juvia would _die_ before she allowed that." she hissed. Invel shook his head, sighing and he fixed his glasses. She had landed a solid punch before Invel had managed to form his ice collar around her neck. Her beautiful, pale, neck.

"You will learn. You will see." Invel sighed, tugging the chain. She was so pretty on her knees, but now was not the time for that. He led her through the ruined town, bricks crumbling to dust under their feet, eerily quiet around them. Anything that risked to remain was caught in Invel's ice. The only sound he could catch was the wet grinding of Juvia's bloody feet on rubble paths. It was good she was only barely clinging to consciousness, or that would surely slow them in Invel's search. His king was sure to be around here somewhere, Zeref hopefully not transferred too far by Eileen's damned blast of panic magic.

Women and their emotions, so much better when controlled by his collars.

"Where are you taking Juvia?" she asked, yanking on her chain. Her words sounded forced, like her mind was caught in thick honey. So she was finally weakening. Good. She would learn and reveal her true emotions soon.

"Nowhere that is a concern for you." Invel replied. He frowned when she stumbled, pulling her leash to make her keep up. She would have to learn to not slow him down.

Juvia had many things to learn, but Invel would readily teach them to her.

Invel looked back watching her face flicker between blank and furious, confusion slipping in between them as she fought to remember the situation she had put herself in. She was so stunning with glossy eyes and parted lips. Though Invel would have to remove that blasted mark on her thigh. She belonged to no one but him now.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing with Juvia?" A man's voice shouted, threatening as it boomed over the ice encased scene around them. Invel turned, quirking an eyebrow as he realized his ice had not touched him. Odd that this one was immune, but nothing Invel couldn't correct.

"My love!"

Invel's eyes snapped to Juvia, watching as she ran in the direction of the man, tears pouring from her eyes, expression soft even as she walked over ice shards and her collar bit into her neck. She pulled at the leash, straining against Invel's control as she embraced the shirtless and raven-haired man. He bore the same symbol on the right side of his chest as Juvia's supple thigh. Invel cocked his head, noticing the intense demonic power radiating from the mage, as well as murderous intent. "What did you do to her?"

"I have claimed her to be mine," Invel explained. It should be obvious, by the collar around her neck. What went together better than water and ice?

"You can't just claim a person!" The man spat, "You sick bastard, get this thing off of her right now or I'll kill you."

"Gray, my love, please don't risk yourself for Juvia." she whispered, swaying in her spot, exhausted from fighting Invel's control for so long. She was so strong, fitting for Invel. Finally, a woman worthy of his attention. He would not give her up to some mage of a dying guild.

"Don't be stupid. You're coming home with me Juvia. I have things I need to tell you after this is all over, yeah?" Gray said, smiling at Juvia even as he tried to freeze over Invel's ice collar. So he was an ice mage as well. Invel's gut twisted, sour at the love Juvia gazed at this Gray with. This would not do.

"Juvia." Invel called, grinning as he watched her body go slack. "Attack."

"Juvia, what do you think you're doing?" Gray shouted, dodging her water blade coating her arm, Juvia walking forward with powerful sweeps of her arms.

"J-Juvia can n-not st-stop." She pushed out, words hissed between clenched teeth. "P-please, my l-love. Leave Ju-Juvia behind."

"I told you to stop being stupid!" Gray snapped, freezing her arms but having to duck to avoid the geyser she used to break the ice binding her. "I'm not leaving you."

Invel watched them fight, Gray obvious in his refusal to harm Juvia, and the blue-haired woman unable to do anything but fight with her full might. They were quick as the danced around one another, ice shields shattering and water bullets pulverizing the buildings around. Gray grunted when one caught his side, red bright as it spilled over the dust and ice-laden wall beside him.

"My love, you m-must fight J-Juvia!" she sobbed, motions stilted as she fought against Invel's collar.

"No!" Gray screamed, desperation and denial raising Invel's ire. These Fiorians were so absurd with their attachments. He would remove that from Juvia though, even if it meant having her rip out Gray's heart with her bare hands.

"Kill."

Invel watched that beautiful blank look fall over Juvia's face. Her arms raised, hands transforming into streams of water as they shot towards gray, wrapping around his neck and face. Gray kicked and struggled, eyes wide as he tried and failed to freeze her arms, water constantly moving and reforming to deny him the chance. Air bubbles raised through the water covering his face, skin turning red and then the hints of blue as seconds ticked by. While it wasn't ripping out a heart, drowning surely would not be pleasent for a death.

"Please, stop."

Invel looked at Juvia's face, tears falling down her cheeks and lip trembling, eyes still blank as they looked in Gray's direction. "Please, let Juvia stop."

"Why would I do that?" Invel asked, walking forward. He met Gray's half-conscious gaze. Another minute and he'd be dead.

"Juvia promises to never fight you if you let her stop," she whimpered. "Juvia will be yours, Just please, let her beloved live."

"But Juvia," Invel said softly, turning her chin to look at him with a single finger. "You already belong to me."

More tears fell from her empty eyes, and Invel sighed. "Fine, release him." Invel watched, disinteredted as Gray's body slumped to the ground, chest heaving for air. Invel made sure they wouldn't be followed by a hard kick to the temple. nodding when he watched Gray's head loll, blood trickling from his hairline. "Now come, Juvia. Zeref does not like to be kept waiting."

Invel smiled when he did not have to pull the leash for Juvia to fall in line behind him. Now that she was broken, it was only a matter of time before she realized she loved him, as he loved her.

* * *

 **A/N; Hello there! So idk if this was what you were hoping for, but Invel is A Bad Guy. No problems with torture or mind control or cruel scenarios, and so the only way I could write this would be severly unhealthy. Hopefully you enjoy the writing, if not the plot 3**


	36. Consequences Are Not Levy's Friend

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Gajevy, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canon, T**

* * *

"You're a terrible cook."

"And you're a terrible boyfriend."

"Tch, I'm the best and you know it."

"If you were the best then you wouldn't have forced me to cook in this."

Levy pouted at Gajeel, gesturing to the frilly black and pink apron Gajeel had picked for her to wear, nothing else except for a matching pair of underwear with a large bow on the back allowed.

"Guess ya shouldn't have doubted me when I told ya I could make Bunny Girl snort beer out her nose," he shrugged. Levy's pout deepened.

"You only did that by dumping glitter on Natsu."

"Bets a bet," Gajeel said, grinning at her. And pushing away the beyond burnt plate of what was supposed to be shepherd's pie, and ended up being somehow blackened and undercooked at the same time.

Levy huffed as she sat down across from Gajeel, glaring at the untouched food. "I know I read the recipe right…" she mumbled, worrying her lip. Levy continued to examine her disaster, ignoring the sound of Gajeel's chair scraping against the tiled floor and his heavy footsteps. He was probably going to get the lacrima and order delivery. She hoped he would get pizza.

"Don't get like that Shrimp," Gajeel said, voice low in her ear. Levy squeaked, sighing in defeat when Gajeel picked her up. She laid limp over his shoulder, eyebrow quirking when she realized he was carrying her to their bedroom.

"What are you going, Gajeel?" Levy asked, looking over her shoulder and at the side of his face. His red eyes were sharp and wolfish when they darted to her, wide grin sending heat to pool in her gut.

"I just thought we shouldn't let this outfit go to waste. I hafta punish ya for ruining dinner, don't I?" Gajeel growled, gripping her ass roughly and giving the flesh a firm shake. Levy whimpered, nodding as he opened the door. She had agreed to be his maid for the day, and there _were_ consequences when a maid didn't do her job. Consequences that hopefully involved the fuzzy pink handcuffs in the box under the bed.

* * *

 **A/N; Gajevy fluff in which case Lily has learned to steer clear of the house after Levy loses a bet.**


	37. He's A Natural

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Modern/Photographer!AU, T**

* * *

"It won't be hard, they said.

"You seem so much more comfortable behind the camera, they said.

"Just one photo shoot, they said."

Lucy grumbled to herself, pacing in the space set aside for breaks. The white tent was partially open, but it still managed to hide her from the source of her spiking anxiety. The very attractive, very pink, and very _naked_ source.

"Do a natural outdoor scene, they said. It'll be fun, they said."

"Are you done talking to yourself or do you need another five?" Lucy sighed loudly, glaring at Loke's head where he peeked around the corner of her sanctuary. "Seriously, the poor guy's gonna freeze his dick off."

"Then maybe he should put on some pants." Lucy snapped, slumping into a chair and burying her face in her hands. She didn't know why he was affecting her like this. Not only had Lucy worked with _gorgeous_ models before, but she had also seen them naked! In her bed! Genitals did not faze her normally, so why was she losing her shit?

"You ready, Drama Queen?" Loke asked. Lucy pouted, accepting his hand and looking up at him.

"Fine, but if anyone's going to be taking him home it's me, got it?" Lucy said sharply. Loke cackled, throwing his head back. He raked his hand through his wild, ginger hair as he grinned down at her fondly. Lucy liked to tell him it looked like a lion's mane after she had had one too many drinks.

"Whatever you say princess," Loke purred, hooking his arm through Lucy's and leading her back out to the meadow they were shooting in. "But first you have to talk to him. Maybe learn his name."

"Shut up," Lucy grumbled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Thought I scared ya off," the model joked as they approached, scratching the back of his head bashfully, towel wrapped around his waist. A very, very small towel, fluffy and white, which only made his deep tan stand out more. Who knew pink hair and brown skin went together so well. Or that Lucy had a thing for Scottish accents.

"What's your name?" Lucy asked, loudly and suddenly. She felt her face flush hot when the model cocked his head at her, confused smile pulling his lips at her outburst. God, please let a random tree just crush her now.

"It's Natsu," he said, holding out his hand. Lucy took it, swallowing around her dry mouth at how big his was compared to hers. And she knew what they said about big hands and big feet…

Lucy yelped when something sharp dug into her side, pouting up at Loke before realizing why he had to shove his bony joint into her ribs in the first place. Her eyes snapped to Natsu's, deep green almost black and sparkling with impish joy. He knew. And he knew she knew. And she knew he knew she knew. And Lucy was really praying for that stray tree right about now.

"Lucy. My name- uh, my name is Lucy." She managed out, blushing deeper at his amused and teasing smile. Oh, he had freckles. Wonderful.

"You can let go of his hand now," Loke said, grinning down at Lucy smugly.

"Maybe I like holding his hand," Lucy retorted, glaring up at her friend.

"He likes holdin' your hand too," Natsu said. He winked at Lucy's squeak, deep laugh shaking his chest as she dropped his hand.

"Alright! Either we start now or you're all walking home!" Gajeel boomed. Lucy rolled her eyes at their equipment manager, ignoring his threat. He'd only followed through with it a couple times. Everyone wandered off to their positions, Lucy fetching her camera and fiddling with it as she kept her back to Natsu. She could do this. Be professional. Don't take a picture of his dick. All things that Lucy could do.

Lucy turned around, and marched herself to stand in front of Natsu. Who had lost the towel, and was standing legs spread and unashamed, basking in all his Scottish glory.

"Do you dye your pubes?" Lucy squeaked, hand slapping over her mouth in horror. She was fired. This was it, her first time as the photographer and she had blown it oh God Jason was going to kill her and then fire her-

"Ain't ya a spit fire?" Natsu cackled, easy as he smiled at Lucy. "And I do no' dye anything. All natural 'ere."

"Oh," Lucy breathed, some of the awkwardness melting off her at Natsu's openness.

"And before ye ask, I'm a grower, not a shower."

Ahh, there was the mortification.

"You don't have to be crude!" Lucy gasped, smiling as she tried to turn her face away from him.

"Ain't I 'posed to be the shy one?" Natsu called. Lucy laughed, rolling her eyes before sticking her tongue out at Natsu. They continued to bicker as Lucy directed him this way and that, trying to find the best angle before snapping a photo. Honestly, all of his angles were good, what with his strong cheek bones and slightly pointed chin giving him a playful and boyish handsomeness, slanted eyes bright and framed with thick lashes, nose a little crooked at the bridge but still broad at the tip. And then there were the freckles scattered across his face, like little deep brown constellations.

"Close your eyes and tilt your chin up. No, not that much. Okay more. Less. Natsu now you're just doing this on purpose!" Lucy laughed, slightly exasperated by his exaggerated movements. She snapped a picture of his profile, eyes closed and tilted towards the sun, grin pulling the corner of his mouth up, the image on the camera looking as if he was a woodland imp who knew a secret and you didn't.

"So bossy," Natsu teased, opening his eye and looking at Lucy from the corner of it. Lucy snapped another photo, breath catching as she looked down at the screen.

There sat a picture of Natsu, seductive as he looked at the camera, gaze sharp like a wolf and just as hypnotic. Lucy's mind shot down to dirty, dirty, places the longer she looked at it.

"Oh, that's a good one, ain't it," Natsu said, leaning over her shoulder. Lucy squealed, clutching the camera to her chest protectively. Lucy flushed when his eyes followed her motion, lingering a few seconds too long on her cleavage to be innocent. He coughed, eyes flicking away as pink coloured his ears.

"You two can fuck later, let's just get a move on to the body shots!" Gajeel called, ripping Lucy from her stupor. She threw her middle finger up at him, glaring when he waved her off and walked away, probably to harass the interns.

"Ignore him," Lucy smiled at Natsu apologetically. "His girlfriend's away for a month and he gets a bit crabby when he doesn't get laid."

Natsu's nose twisted in a grimace even as a low chuckle fell from his lips. "He's me cousin, I don' think I need'a know 'bout his sex life." he chuckled. His grin grew warmer at Lucy's shocked expression, arms lifting and crossing behind his head as he continued to talk. "He's the reason I got the job. It's me first time modelin', but I needed the pay, so 'ere I am."

"Well you're a natural at it," Lucy assured. She could hardly believe this was the first time he had modeled, the camera _adored_ him.

"Thank ya," Natsu grinned. Lucy returned it, having to tilt her head up a bit to look at him, standing as close as they were to one another.

"Seriously, make yer bedroom eyes at each other when we're not on the job!"

"Piss off ya walkin' pin cushion!"

Lucy laughed, half hiding her face as she shook her head. Natsu beamed down at her, sharp canine revealed by the curl of his lips. She shooed him further back, taking in a deep breath. Looking at Natsu fully, standing buck-ass naked in the middle of a spring meadow just starting to bloom, Lucy couldn't help but bite her lip. God, she had no idea what he did for a job, but Lucy was leaning towards boxer if the grooves of his muscles on his chest and abs were any indication. Not to mention his thighs… or his _forearms…_

She was definitely going to take Natsu home. Or at least out for drinks.

She _needed_ to know the dirt Natsu had on Gajeel from when they were kids. And just how much of a grower the pink haired model really was.

* * *

 **A/N: Have some Scottish Natsu! And Canadian Lucy, but that's more from me using my own euphemisms lmao. This could get so much longer, and maybe 'll continue it when I'm not swamped! So model Natsu is always a fun thing, and tbh hot damn.**


	38. Alcohol Is Not Lucy's Friend

**A/N**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Modern!AU, T**

* * *

"Don't be fucking rude."

"Oh my God Lucy you are such a meme!" Cana cackled, arm slung over Lucy's shoulder as she tried to wedge her face between Lucy's phone and her ear. "Besides, it's girls night! That means no dicks!"

"Cana," Levy sighed giving her a pointed look.

"Your dick is female, it doesn't count. Now take your shot and spin the wheel of awkward sexual questions on your phone."

"Does that mean Juvia's beloved can join?"

"You know if you would just stop making everything about dick this would stop happening," Lucy commented innocently, grinning at Cana's disgruntled look. "You don't even _like_ dick."

"Oh I like dick, just not what ninety percent of it is attached to."

"Can you guys stop saying dick?" A tired voice asked from the phone. Lucy squeaked, shoving her hand in Cana's face and pushing her so she fell backwards over the couch.

"Sorry Natsu," Lucy sighed, glaring at her pack of giggling friends and making threatening gestures with her hand as she left the room. "You know how they are."

"I _did_ grow up with them," he said dryly, Lucy hearing his smile in his voice.

"Then you should be used to the word dick," Lucy teased, grinning at his scoff. "Would you rather I say penis?"

"Oh Luce, you know I beat you at the penis game." Natsu purred. Lucy was thankful that he was half a city away and not able to see her face, because that meant she didn't have to suppress her shiver or stop herself from biting her lip at his deep voice. _Yes,_ Lucy thought to herself, _I'm sure you could definitely beat me with your dick._

Alrighty, that was a sign for her to stop taking every drink Cana and Mira offered her.

Time to stop being creepy about her best friend. "You wish," she said instead of anything she might regret.

"Excuse you I totally won the round in the library yesterday!"

"Because I wasn't playing," Lucy huffed, smiling as she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. "You and Gray started it, I just got kicked out alongside you!"

"Then maybe I was just imagining you screaming," Natsu said, voice low and rough through the phone. Lucy's heart stuttered, mouth suddenly going dry as her mind whirled.

"What?" she asked, clearing her throat awkwardly at how her own voice sounded. Thank God Cana was too busy climbing all over Kagura like some alcoholic cat.

"Nothing!" Natsu said, loudly and rushed. Lucy smiled to herself, walking around Cana's bedroom. He was so weird. Maybe that was why she loved him.

Whoop there was a bad thought she shouldn't be having. At least she could admit his aesthetics did things to her drunk mind, but _love_ was something that she really didn't feel like crossing right now.

"Whatever you say, Weirdo." Lucy hummed, falling backwards onto the bed and giggling at his half offended 'oi'.

"I ain't the weird one, don't go stealing my nickname!" he chastised, Lucy able to picture his lopsided smirk. She wondered what he was doing, considering if he had been out with Gray and Gajeel he'd be getting chirped to death.

"Nu uh, you're the weird one." Lucy sang.

"You are!"

"Nope."

"You put ketchup _and_ gravy on your fries!" Natsu said triumphantly, if not without a hint of disgust.

"I like salty and sweet." Lucy pouted. "Besides, it's better than you putting habanero sauce on everything. I've even seen you put it on candy!"

"Ain't my fault you can't handle the heat," Natsu said smugly. Lucy was reminded of the fact that she had, indeed, had several shots of tequila before answering Natsu's call by how she responded.

"Oh, I think I can handle your heat."

"Wha-"

"I CAN HANDLE THE HEAT. THE. I said the. I can handle _the_ heat." Lucy yelled into the phone, staring at the ceiling in horror as she felt her face burn as if she had just eaten one of those damn peppers, seeds and all. A tenseness filled the phone line between them, Lucy gnawing on her lip as she waited for Natsu to speak. She couldn't tell if it was awkward or not, but it was making a ball of _something_ knot itself in her gut and Lucy was really starting to pray she was still a light weight and it was just the tequila trying to revolt.

"So why'd ya call?" Lucy said, cringing at the squeaking pitch of her voice and the odd sing-song tone it had taken on. _I crave death_ flashed through her brain like a cheap neon sign, but she pushed it down for more opportune times, like when she was dealing with a customer or writing a ten-page essay at three AM.

"Uhh-" Natsu said, voice tight and Lucy wanted to scream into the pillow beside her face. He coughed awkwardly, each second passing making Lucy seriously consider switching universities and just, living with her father. It wouldn't be that bad, right? Fancy ball gowns and no agency in life. Arranged marriages to a man three times her age. She could deal. Slip a little too much cyanide into his whiskey and bam! Instant widow. "I was wonderin' where you put Happy's backpack. He's making his howling noises for it again, you know how he is when he hasn't seen ya for a few days."

"Aww," Lucy cooed. "He misses me?"

"Pretty sure he loves you more than me, Luce," Natsu chuckled. Lucy cocked her head at the strange choking noise he made but decided to ignore it.

"Did you check on the top cupboard shelf?"

"Why would it be there?" Natsu asked, incredulous. Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Because that cat is a menace that likes to pounce on us from the tallest place he can reach, including the inside of your cabinets. Don't ask me how he gets in there because I truly do not know." Lucy waited as Natsu thought it over, sitting up when she heard a commotion coming from the living room. "Did you find it?" she asked distractedly, walking from the bed and out the door.

"Juvia put down the bottle and let her explain!"

"No! She knows Juvia's beloved's kinks! She must share them with Juvia so she can give Gray the best orgasm!"

"Goddammit who gave her the vodka! We all know Juvia doesn't get vodka!"

"Yeah! Thanks Luce, you're the best!" Natsu cheered, Lucy humming absently as she slowly made her way to the living room, where Juvia was clinging to Cana's waist while a disgruntled Kagura and howling Lisanna tried to pry her off. Levy cackled between and a smirking Mira and Erza, the three doing nothing to help.

"No problem," she mumbled, trying not to draw her batshit-crazy friends' attention to her. "I gotta go."

"Juvia get into the vodka?" Natsu asked, Lucy smiling at his wry tone.

"Yeah."

"Alright, have fun with the crazies."

"You know I will," Lucy grinned, "love you, bye!"

Lucy stared at the screen of her phone, thumb already tapping the 'end call' button as her brain caught up with her mouth. Oh no. Oh no no no no _no_.

"Fuck."

Lucy dropped her phone on the stone counter top of Cana's kitchen, walking numbly into the heart of the mess and taking the vodka bottle from Juvia's hand. Without missing a beat she took it to her lips, pounding back three long sips as she sank into the couch beside Levy.

"Uh Luce, not to be judgey but that's how people get alcohol poisoning." Levy pointed out, helpfully.

"That's the goal," Lucy said flatly, taking another swig.

"You alright?" Cana asked, ignoring Juvia as she looked at Lucy with concern.

"I told Natsu I loved him."

"I did not know you two were dating." Kagura said, also ignoring Juvia despite still holding onto her ankle.

"Lucy!" Mira gasped, hands slamming on the coffee table, "How could you keep this from me? I've been trying to set you two up for _years_."

Lisanna let go of Juvia's leg, latching onto Lucy's arm painfully. "Tell us. Everything."

"We're not!" Lucy wailed, dropping her head into her hands. "It just slipped out! And then I hung up!"

All girls' heads snapped when Lucy's phone began vibrating on the stone.

"Oh my God it's him."

"Answer it!"

"Pick up your phone or I will."

"Are you crazy?" Lucy hissed, eyes wide as she looked at Erza. "What so he can tell me 'Gee Luce, you're a great friend but I don't really see you like that.' No, thank you."

Lucy jolted at the unanimous groan and eye roll her friends gave her.

"Lucy I'll bet you my fifty-year-old trilogy that that is the exact _opposite_ of what Natsu would say." Levy said flatly. She stuck her tongue out at Lucy's shocked expression, relaxing back into the sofa.

"Well then what are you planning on doing?" Kagura asked. Her face stayed the same serious mask as it always did, even as she threw her arm around the back of the chair whose arm she was sitting on, Cana cuddling into her side with a lazy grin.

"Leaving the city in the dead of night and changing my name to Michelle Lobster."

"That is a stupid name." Erza said, sipping her strawberry cooler with a raised eyebrow.

"I am improvising!" Lucy snapped, dropping her head when her phone started to vibrate a second time. No one would suspect her of murdering her senior-aged husband, not with her big eyes and cleavage.

"And a stupid plan."

"You know what Lisanna-"

"Hold it I'm getting a phone call."

Lucy's gut swooped when she put two and two together, too late to do anything but sit in horror as Cana answered her phone.

"Hey there Natsu, funny seeing you call me."

"Please let me die." Lucy whimpered, eyes widening when Juvia gripped her wrist, vice-like as she stopped her from fleeing.

"Lucy is going to experience love even if Juvia has to force it down her throat." She threatened, Lucy whimpering a second time under the steely determination in Juvia's dark blue gaze.

"Oh yeah she's right here, pounding back Juvia's vodka like she's a Russian revolutionary about to be sent to the gulags under Stalin's explicit orders. Oh shut up I worked hard for that A minus in Eastern European history class and you will take what remains of that hell course in my brain. Oh gee, let me ask her.

"Hey Luce," Cana called, grin salacious as she wiggled the phone in Lucy's direction. "Natsu wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I died of alcohol poisoning half an hour ago and he had been talking to my ghost."

"Yeah, she'd love to talk to you."

 _"Traitor."_ Lucy snarled, glaring up at Cana as she sauntered over to where Juvia still held Lucy.

"Mm 'kay, I'll take this and give you that." Cana said, taking the vodka from Lucy's fist and trading her the cell phone. "Have fun!"

"Hi," Lucy squeaked, reluctantly answering the phone.

"Your ghost huh?"

"I will literally write the next hundred of your papers if you just pretend that I didn't say what I said and that the last five minutes never happened." Lucy whined, feeling tears starting to threaten to escape. She was going to lose her best friend all because she had had too much tequila and didn't know how to shut up.

"While that is tempting," Natsu said, in that fake pretending voice that either made Lucy laugh or want to punch him, "I have a better offer."

"Just tell me what it is and I'll do it." Lucy gasped, standing up abruptly. She would shave her head if it meant not losing Natsu.

"You don't even know what it is! It could be anything." Natsu chuckled, low and deep and sending unwanted shivers along Lucy's spine.

"Natsu I will literally do anything you ask if it means going back to normal."

"Be my girlfriend."

Lucy dropped the phone. She scrambled to get it, clutching at it with both hands as she pressed it to her ear. "Okay! What? I-I mean _yes?_ " Lucy rasped, the world spinning before her eyes. God did Juvia drink strong alcohol.

Natsu chuckled again, Lucy's knees weakening at the throaty and deep sound. "Go have fun with your friends Luce, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," Lucy said weakly, sitting back down on the sofa in a daze.

"And Lucy?" Natsu called, continuing after Lucy's hum of acknowledgment, "I love you too, you weirdo."

Lucy stared blankly at the phone in her hands after he hung up. He loved her. They were dating. Holy _fuck_ they were _dating._

"Sooo," Levy pressed, ducking her head under Lucy's to look at her. "Judging by that terrifying smile I'd say the conversation went well," Lucy's gaze flicked to Levy's at her leading tone, touching her cheek to realize she was in fact smiling. A huge, wide smile that made her cheeks hurt.

"He said he loves me too," she breathed, giggling and pulling Cana's phone to her chest. "He called me a weirdo and said he loves me."

Three seconds ticked by before the room filled with squealing girls, Lucy laughing loudly as they dog-piled on her. "This calls for drinks!" Cana shouted.

"I think this calls for ice cream and romcom movies," Kagura corrected dryly, giving Lucy a rare and full smile. "We have to give Lucy date ideas after all."

Everyone squealed again, hugging whichever part of Lucy they could get a hold on. Lucy grinned brightly, thankful for her friends' enthusiasm, even if she already had a scrapbook of perfect date ideas she had been making since she was ten.

And the best part was Natsu already knew about it, and had even helped fill in a few pages. Maybe they had both been a little oblivious for a little too long, but now it had worked out better than Lucy ever could have dreamed.

They were _dating!_

And Lucy was going to throw up.

"I knew mixing alcohol would end like this, you're such a lightweight!"

"Cana?"

"Yeah Luce?"

"Don't be fucking rude."

* * *

 **A/N; This is part of the college au with trans!Gray! Levy is a trans girl, Cana is a lesbian and dating Kagura, and Mira is ace! Everyone is bi/pan unless stated otherwise bcus why not lol.**


	39. What We're Owed

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Annaleen, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Adoption!AU, T**

* * *

"Maybe I'm just crazy," Eileen sighed, stirring her cup of coffee with her spoon as she watched the cream meld with the black liquid, "but shouldn't children be _grateful_ for their parents bringing them into the world? I could have just as easily gotten rid of the brat, and how does she repay the hell she put me through? Following her heart? What kind of _bullshit_ did that stupid old man fill her head with."

"I don't know," Anna sighed. Eileen's eye twitched at the annoying sound, fighting the urge to throw the steaming coffee on her friend's face. Ha, friend. She had been spending too much time with the damn ball of sunshine and teddy bears. Both things that Eileen thought were far too overrated and unnecessary, much like the woman she was comparing them too. "I think Wendy knows what she owes me for taking her in. She's always leaving me these adorable presents and sweet notes. She's not my favourite for nothing."

"And when was the last time you saw Wendy?" Eileen asked, voice dripping with sarcastic sweetness.

"Hmm," Anna said, leaning back in her chair as she thought. The afternoon sun made her pale blonde hair glint, tip of her ponytail falling over her shoulder, purple icing smudged on her lip from her half eaten cupcake. "A week or two ago, I think? She made dinner for me the night I had that big presentation due!"

"Anna that was two and a half months ago," Eileen said flatly, rolling her eyes at Anna's shocked expression. "And didn't she put lemon in the chicken? You know, the only fruit you're allergic to?"

"Oh, she didn't mean to! And the hives went down right away," Anna smiled. Eileen wished Wendy had shoved an entire lemon down Anna's throat instead of just spiking the chicken. She had to admit though, the kid could be ruthless when she wanted to be, which was better than her own wasted potential of a child.

Regardless, they were spending far too much time not talking about Eileen.

"Can you believe that Erza would rather be a teacher than follow my lead as a lawyer? All that genetic material wasted by that damn conscious of hers," Eileen's lip curled at the thought. Why would she ever lower herself to help others? If anything, they should be begging to help _her._ Just like Erza should, seeing as she failed her original purpose of keeping her father under Eileen's control. While he was a stupid and cruel man, he had been _hers,_ and Eileen would rather see the thing dead than lose control of what belonged to her.

"Makarov has always been a strong believer in those things," Anna admitted. Her nose scrunched like a kitten when she tried to pick all the pink sprinkles off the remaining half of her cupcake. Eileen hated kittens. Ironically, Anna hated pink. Weren't they such a lovely pair. Eileen scoffed at her own thoughts before speaking.

"I can't believe she fell into the one fucking orphanage that won't sell to Alvarez after the _incident_ at the Tower," Eileen sighed, stirring her coffee more violently as irritation built under her skin. "I told him mixing ages would lead to those vermin getting ideas but _noo_ , Zeref refuses to listen to counsel as always."

" _Legal_ council," Anna reminded her, popping the rest of her cupcake into her mouth. Eileen felt her lip curl in a sneer at the emphasis Anna put on the word.

"I have known the man for almost a decade," Eileen spat.

"And I have known him since he was a child." Anna said, "helping him search through the orphanages for his lost brother only a few months old when Zeref was already ten or twelve. Or do you think I would take in five children of my own will?"

"Seeing as how you abandoned your actual blood niece I suppose not," Eileen said dryly, conceding to Anna's hard glare. Eileen much preferred when the cold steel entered her boring brown eyes than the usual vacant joy. "How long was it until you dropped Natsu off with Igneel anyway?"

"I had him for a few years, but you know boys, so gross and icky as they grow up." Anna said. Zeref had been very displeased with Anna at giving away his thirteen-year-old brother, which meant Eileen had enjoyed the few months of bliss where Anna _wasn't_ able to do no wrong. Nothing felt better than watching others fail.

"You finally have an empty nest now," Eileen hummed. Natsu had gone off with Igneel, Gajeel to Metallicana, Sting and Rogue to those disgusting saps Weisslogia and Skiadrum, and finally Wendy had moved in with Grandine. It was exhausting keeping track on these useless children, but Eileen liked to make sure she knew everything about everyone that interacted with her daughter.

"Not quite yet," Anna said, wagging her finger at Eileen. Eileen wanted to break it, but focused on her breathing instead.

"Wendy has moved in with Grandine now that her tours are over in wherever this stupid country is fighting against." Eileen said sharply.

"What?" Anna asked, hurt clouding her eyes as she looked at her empty plate.

"For two and a half months," Eileen said snidely, a pleasant feeling growing in her chest as she watched Anna finally understand what had happened. Served her right for being so damn naive. "And now what you see what I mean about children being so fucking ungrateful? Look at all we do for them, and this is how they repay us! Leading their own lives as if they don't owe us those lives."

Eileen swung her hand out in agitation, spilling the coffee across the table. She sighed standing up and grabbing her case. She was due in court in an hour and half, some stupid reporter putting their nose where it shouldn't be and trying to 'expose' Alvarez production. As if they were any match for Eileen's tongue. "C'mon," she said, not looking at the still pouting Anna, "let's go see if we can convince that little brat how good you were to her."

Eileen snarled when Anna beamed up at her, grumbling but not shaking Anna off as she slung her arm around Eileen's elbow. Satisfaction curled in her chest, easing her need to kick something when she saw the waitress hurry to their table with a rag and step in a puddle of the liquid.

* * *

 **A/N; always fun to write two characters you dislike lol. FYI Zeref runs a company that uses child slave labour, Eileen is his head lawyer who abandoned her child Bcus Erza didn't serve her enough, Anna is the false PR lady pouting out Acnologias war crimes while ignoring Alverezs funding of him, they are Bad People who do Bad Things and are legit horrible. Like I'm sorry, they're villians and Anna is useless.**

 **Wrote this as a prompt request and wanted to portray them with their canon personalities, or at least what was show in the three pages Ana appeared in.**


	40. Miscommunication

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Highschool AU, K**

* * *

"Please talk to me."

Natsu rolled his eyes, making a show of turning up the volume on his headphones.

"Natsu," she begged, putting herself in his way. Her eyes were red rimmed, the usual pretty honey brown murky with tears. As if Natsu would fall for that. Again.

"What do _you_ want?" he asked, his gut twinging at how she flinched at his words. He mentally shook himself, why should he care about how some _liar_ felt? He shoved past her, lips thinning when he felt her grab his elbow.

"Please, just let me explain-"

"What do you want to explain Lucy? That you lied to all of your 'friends'? To me? That you used us to get back at your dad? Why don't you go back to your high life up on that hill and leave us 'vagrants' alone?" Natsu spat, yanking his arm out of her hands. Lucy stepped back, shock and pain coating her face openly. Natsu had trusted her instantly, opening his home to the strange teenager he met on the street.

He hadn't been so wrong about anything before in his life.

"I never called you that!" Lucy said, voice high and angry and desperate. Natsu scoffed. "I didn't" she insisted. "Natsu please, I'm sorry I lied to you about my last name but you have to believe me-"

"Believe you?" Natsu asked, crossing his arms over his chest and ignoring how his backpack slipped into the crook of his elbow. "I can't believe anything you say."

"Just let me explain!" Lucy screamed, stamping her foot as more tears spilled down her cheeks. Natsu paused, shocked at her sudden anger. Lucy took his silence as letting her speak, scrubbing at her face violently as she hiccuped. Guilt coiled hot and tight in his chest. He'd made her cry.

"Yes. Yes, I lied about who I was, okay? I c-come from a big house with lots of money and everything someone could ask for. But I- I would give it all up again because I _hate_ _it_. My dad," Lucy broke off, lip warbling and her eyes darting away from him. She hugged herself, Natsu reaching out for her but able to stop himself from comforting her. She continued on, not noticing his hand falling to his side.

"My dad isn't a good man. I'm sure he was at some point, but after my mom died… He changed. He started drinking. Focused all his time on his job. You know, it's actually kinda sad, but last month when you guys threw me that birthday party was the first time I celebrated my birthday in almost ten years?" Lucy laughed at herself, wiping her face again. She wasn't lying. Natsu felt it in his bones, that she wasn't lying and he was making her so scared and sad that she felt like she owed him her life's story. Natsu made a choking noise, his disgust for himself catching in his throat. Lucy cringed, curling tighter into herself at his noise.

How could he have been so wrong?

"I ran away because I couldn't stand being alone in that stupid house anymore. All my dad cares about is money and power. I, I overheard him talking to one of his business partners. He was going to pull me out of school, and then when I turned eighteen he promised I'd ma- marry him. Can you believe that? Who _trades_ their daughter for a bigger share in an oil company?" Lucy took in a deep breath, wet and raspy and all Natsu wanted to do was hold her. Drag her back to the shelter Fairy Tail and never let her dad find her again.

"Lucy," Natsu started, rooted to his spot. God, why couldn't he be better with emotions and dealing with people?

"So I changed my name, took on my mom's last name of Ashley because I refused to be anything like my father. And it worked, for a bit. Of course I felt guilty lying to you guys about who I was, and I tried to make myself useful around the shelter to make up for taking up space that other kids needed more."

Natsu balked. Who could need someplace safe to stay more than a girl fearing for her future?

"But then he found me. A-and said all that awful stuff about you guys, but I guess you overheard that, huh?" Lucy gave him a wry smile, eyes flat as she finally looked at him. God, he'd really fucked up this time. "So, I- I just wanted to let you know I'm sorry. It's my fault my dad tried to shut down the shelter and it's my fault he said all that stuff about you guys being 'vangrants' and 'hood rats'. As if my dad even cared about who I hung out with outside of how it affected the Heartfilia name. I'm sorry I lied Natsu, and betrayed your trust, and everyone at Fairy Tail. I'll leave you alone now, I- I just needed to let you know."

Lucy gave him a small smile, stepping back half a step as she dropped her gaze to the concrete. Natsu felt his backpack slip from his arm completely, ignoring it as it hit the ground. He grabbed Lucy's wrist, panic blooming through his mind. "What do you mean you'll leave me alone?" he asked, searching her face. Lucy looked at him, brows scrunched in confusion.

"I'm going home," Lucy said slowly, standing rigid in her place. Natsu shook his head, stepping closer to her.

"You can't."

"I have nowhere else to go," Lucy said with a small, sad smile. "I'll be fine, really. I won't be eighteen for another two years. Maybe their contract will fall through." She didn't sound hopeful, even as she put on a facade. For him. The one who had chased her back into the control of that monster.

"No." Natsu said simply, yanking her towards him and hugging her as tightly as he could. "I was wrong. Yeah you lied, but you were doing what you had to do to survive."

"I'm not going to die," Lucy said calmly, still in Natsu's arms and tense.

"Your soul will."

Natsu let that sink in, an exhale finally leaving him when Lucy returned his hug tightly. "I'm sorry I was an ass. Fairy Tail was lucky to have you. All that matters is that you're Lucy. The sweet, caring, loud, weird girl who makes the entire room smile with you. You're family, and I never should have said the shit I did. I'm sorry Lucy. I'm so fucking sorry."

Lucy didn't say anything, but Natsu felt her start to shake in his arms, nails digging into his back through his shirt where she was holding onto him tightly. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk for another minute, Natsu uncaring of any looks they got. He pulled away, giving her a small smile when she wiped her face again. She was even pretty when she cried, which Natsu thought was almost insulting. Who taught their child to be controlled even when they cried?

Natsu grabbed her hand, picking up his backpack as he started walking in the direction of Fairy Tail. "Natsu?" Lucy called, concern flashing through her eyes, Natsu thankful to notice some of the old spark returning to them. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home," Natsu said simply. "Gray's gonna beat my ass for making you cry, but we have to claim your room again, yeah?" He smiled at her as brightly as he could, hoping to force some confidence and nonchalance into his words. Fear made his heart skip a beat when he saw fresh tears form in her eyes, quickly washed away when Lucy beamed at him, nodding quickly.

"Okay Natsu. Let's go home."

* * *

 **A/N; This is really angsty whoops lol. Also it's two am rn. Have some fun highschool AU stuff in which Natsu is a dumb teenage boy and Lucy is also a teenager. I was thinking around the 15/16 mark? Full of self righteous energy and over-reactive, bcus what teenager doesn't think they know everything only to have it blow up in their faces a few times? This time, it's Natsu realizing he can't judge without knowing the full story, and Lucy realizing that honesty helps people get why she does things.**


	41. Lucy's Laugh

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canonverse, T**

* * *

"What the fuck's your problem?" Gray asks, slipping onto the bench beside Natsu. Natsu _wants_ to punch him, but he can't tell if that's because Gray is an annoying dickhead or because Blue Pegasus decided to drop by to celebrate the day Loke joined Fairy Tail and the Tri Men had been trailing Lucy like lost puppies for the last two hours.

It's probably both but Natsu thinks he's in a generous mood, so he doesn't punch Gray.

"Get lost," he snarls, hearing no heat in his own voice. Heat that flares when he watches the tall one with dark hair pin Lucy to a wall. He wants to step in and hit that prick with a Fire Dragon's kick to the nuts, but Lucy would yell at him for over-reacting, and think that he thought she couldn't deal with things on her own.

That had _not_ been a fun conversation two weeks ago when he caught some perv trying to look up Lucy's skirt and threw him through a window. Lucy hadn't spoken to him for an _hour!_

His mood soured more when he saw her genuinely smile and laugh at something the mage said. She was over there having fun with other people when he and her were supposed to be going on a mission! Stupid Loke asking her to be his date for the party and stupid Makarov throwing the party and stupid Blue Pegasus pricks flirting with her and keeping her to themselves.

"Earthland to Natsu, if you don't stop squeezing that mug you're gonna br- nevermind. Yo Mira, a fire whiskey for Hot Head and I'll take a brandy neat please!" Gray hollers over Natsu's shoulder. Natsu lit his fist, burning off the alcohol and wooden chips coating his hand.

That bastard had made Lucy snort water out of her nose! Natsu had been trying to do that for weeks! And it had nothing to do with how Lucy was tucking her hair behind her ear and doing that cute giggle that made Natsu's heart beat loud in his chest. Because that was dumb. Lucy was Natsu's best friend.

Nothing else.

"You know, I'm pretty sure with your magic you probably could burn a hole through Ren's head if you keep glaring."

"I'm not glaring," Natsu snaps, taking his mug from Mira without looking at her and downing it in a long gulp.

"Uh huh," Gray drawls sarcastically, swirling his amber alcohol in his glass as he arches an eyebrow at Natsu. "And I'm completely straight."

"Why don't you go do something useful like jump off the roof," Natsu turns his attention to Gray, the ice bastard naked, having lost his shirt hours ago and pants soon after. Seeing as how everyone was blind drunk and either dancing, flirting, or fighting, no one really gave a flying fuck about Gray's state of dress though, including Natsu.

He breaks another mug in his hand when he sees Ben -or Fen or Renni or whatever his name is- rest his hand on the slip of skin between Lucy's shorts and her crop top.

"Gray fight me!" Natsu roars, jumping onto the table and lighting his fists.

"Nah," Gray says after a minute of looking at him. The fires go out on Natsu's fist as he gapes in betrayal at his frienemy.

"What the fuck?" Natsu asks, staying standing on the table.

"You're just pissy 'cus Lucy ain't paying attention to you," Gray shrugs. He downs his drink in a gulp, rolling his shoulders as he leans back.

"Am not," Natsu grumbles, fingers twitching when he hears Lucy do that high giggle she did when she was trying to flirt. Natsu liked her real laugh better, the way her eyes lit up and she snorted.

Gray snorts and rolls his eyes, Natsu feeling heat creep over his face. Stupid fire whiskey. Natsu narrows his eyes when he sees a sly grin spread over Gray's face. He's about to turn around and see what the stripper was smiling at when a familiar scent overwhelms the smell of the guild partying around him. Light and summery and it makes Natsu's gut swoop like when he's forced to ride the train.

"Why do you always end up on the table?" Lucy sighs. Natsu looks over his shoulder, beaming at Lucy when she quirks an eyebrow at him and gives him a fond smile. He tries to turn around fully, heel catching on a suddenly slick part of the table and he ends up tumbling to the ground in a loud crash.

"Oi! You fucking bastard you did that on-" Natsu roars, cut off from untangling himself with the destroyed bench he was surrounded with by Lucy's worried face hovering over him.

"Are you alright Natsu? That was a pretty spectacular fall," she asks, holding out a hand to help him up. Natsu grins at her easily, taking her hand and hauling himself out of the wreckage.

"Bah, like a little wood could take me out!" Natsu grins, throwing his arm around Lucy's shoulder. She rolls her eyes, elbowing a sore spot on his ribs pointedly but not saying anything.

"You know, if we left now I bet we could still make that 3000 jewel request," Lucy smiles at him leadingly, eyes hopeful.

"What about Loke's party?" Natsu asks, mentally kicking himself. He shows Gray the middle finger behind his back when he hears the prick laugh under his breath.

"I haven't been on a job with you for a week or two. I'll take Loke out for dinner or something to make it up to him later. Besides," Lucy says, rolling her eyes as she gestures at where Loke is perched in the corner of the room, several girls hanging off him in awe, his stupid glasses pushed onto his head as he boasts about… something. Natsu doesn't really care, most of his attention turned to Lucy leading him out of the guild hall. "I'm sure he won't mind."

"Well then let's get going!" Natsu chirps, grabbing Lucy's hand and dragging her the rest of the way out the door. He turns his head back to smile at Lucy, eyes closed. Which means he misses the pole on the side of the street, and he walks straight into it. Natsu bounces off the wood pillar with a yelp, falling to his ass on the gravel and holding the side of his face. He pouts up at Lucy, who is leaning over her knees from laughing so hard. She snorts, covering her mouth her hand and blinking away tears before meeting Natsu's gaze and breaking into another fit. Natsu leaps to his feet, grinning at her brightly.

Let's see pony-boy make Lucy laugh like that.

* * *

 **A/N; sorry this is so late! Hope you like it! Tried writing in present tense and hoo was it weird lol**


	42. Cards And Tricks

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Lucana, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canonverse, M**

* * *

Lucy stretched out on the bed, whining as she threw her hand of cards on the pile in front of her.

"Aww, don't be sad babe. You won that round four-no five hands ago," Cana purred, gathering the cards in her hands and shuffling them expertly.

"I don't know how but you're cheating," Lucy said accusingly. She fingered at the lacey band on her bra. Her socks, shorts, top, and vest already piled beside Cana. Lucy glared at the sad belt she had beside her, her pitiful spoils she liked to call it.

"Oh, Luce, you should know better than anyone that I have magic hands. Or should I say, _fingers."_

Lucy flushed at her girlfriend's salacious tone, fingers wiggling in Lucy's face. She pouted as she shoved her hand away from her face. Lucy probably should have bit them, but the moment passed. "You're still cheating."

"Oh stop complaining and start stripping," Cana said. Lucy paused unhooking her bra when she saw Cana put the cards beside her. Lucy could only describe Cana's smirk as evil as she tried to scramble off the bed, the brunette lunging and catching Lucy around her waist. Her face smushed into the flower and star patterned comforter, a heavy weight settling on her back making her groan. Lucy squeaked when she felt her bra unclip, soft hands running along her skin and under her straps, pushing the fabric off of Lucy's skin and revealing her bare. "Thought you might need some help."

Lucy relaxed under Cana's soft voice, electricity trailing her skin where Cana ran her fingertips along her teasingly.

Her hands bunched in the blanket under her when Cana settled more firmly on Lucy's lower back, hands pushing between Lucy and the mattress and groping her chest. Cana's lips drew along the shell of Lucy's ear, Lucy turning her head to press into Cana. Lucy returned the sly grin she felt Cana press to her neck.

"Why do you always insist on playing cards with me when you know we always end up like this?" Cana asked, voice low and husky, Lucy shivering as anticipation rolled through her.

"Maybe I'm a masochist," Lucy sighed. She bit her lip to suppress a small moan when Cana brushed the hair off her shoulder, fingers light as they danced over her skin. Lucy rolled over, staying under Cana's straddling thighs. She rested her hands on the swell of Cana's hips, thumbs brushing along the tan and smooth skin. Lucy sometimes wished her skin could hold colour like Cana's, her only options pale or lobster.

"Or maybe you'll just take any chance to get under me," Cana said with a wag of her eyebrows, grin salacious as she looked over Lucy's bare chest. Her hands rolled and cupped Lucy's large globes, soft skin sending shivers of pleasure through Lucy as they touched her sensitive nipples.

"I do enjoy that," Lucy grinned, eyes fluttering shut and a low hum falling from her lips when Cana pinched her softly, playing with her already excited and hardened nerves.

"I know something you'd enjoy more," Cana said lightly, grin bright as she trailed her fingertips along Lucy's stomach and reached lower. Lucy arched into her touch, tangling her hands in Cana's loose, brown waves. Lucy thought the colour was rich like the oak barrels Cana got her wine from, golden and dark chocolate undertones making it one of Lucy's favourite colours. She shut her eyes as she gasped softly, Cana's clever fingers curling along her slick heat through her thin underwear. Lucy giggled in her throat when she felt Cana kiss her teasingly, Lucy's lower lip pulled between her teeth as she tried to stifle her noises, lest she give Cana too large of an ego boost so soon into their playing.

Lucy's mouth fell open into a silent 'o' when Cana pressed two fingers into her, curling them along her walls slowly and as if they had all the time in the world. Magic fingers, indeed.

* * *

 **A/N; Sorry it took so long! I wanted to write more, but I think this is a nice little snippet! I honestly adore lucana, it's such a good wlw ship for Fairy Tail :p Also for anyone curious, Natsu is dead. I'm SORRY it's the only way I can ship Lucy without him! But this is not a sad fic, and is about two girlfriends flirting in their bed :D**


	43. Change Of Plans

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canonverse, T**

* * *

Natsu looked away from where he had been focusing on the mirror, trying for the fifth time to make the correct knot on his tie.

"Natsu!" Lucy called again. He pulled his tongue back into his mouth from where it had sat frozen on the top left corner of his lip in his concentration, deciding that he'd just give Lucy the puppy-dog-eyes until she did the tie for him. It usually worked, and he had caught her staring at his ass when he first put on his dress pants before shooing him from her bedroom to finish getting ready.

"Oi, Luce, why'da we have to go to this thing anyway?" he whined, pushing the door open with his back, fiddling with his tie in a hope to make him look even more pathetic when he asked for help. Natsu lifted his head at Lucy's amused snort, words ramming into one another like cars in a train that had run head first into a mountain in his throat, an awkward gurgle escaping him as he looked at his kinda-maybe-girlfriend.

"You know how Makarov likes to throw his fancy parties sometimes. Pretends it makes Fairy Tail look classier to the council." Lucy hummed. Natsu didn't really care anymore about the answer, considering how he was getting an eyeful of the pale and creamy skin of Lucy's back. It's not like he was a stranger to a naked Lucy, both from fun and un-fun situations galore, but there was something about seeing the entirety of her back uncovered, the gentle curve of her spine and the edge of dimples just along the seam of where the red dress began and fell to the floor fully calling to him to touch and explore and _know_. Her arms were lifted above her head in a way that Natsu found obscene, showcasing the curves of her body, bent at the elbows and her hands holding together the clasp at the back of her neck.

"You look… nice," Natsu bit out, flushing at how stupid he sounded. As if Lucy of all people needed to be told she looked _nice_. Natsu jolted at her giggle, gaping as he watched her head duck a little, rocking from one foot to the other in her spot, her back still facing him.

"Thank you, Natsu, I'll repay the compliment once I don't have to worry about flashing you by accident," - _gods I wish you would-_ "if you'd just zip me up at the top? Why they'd have to put a one-inch zipper instead of a button I honestly can't understand-" Lucy prattled on, oblivious to the red colouring of Natsu's face. He berated his mind for injecting such a crude thought earlier, knowing his objection was mainly for show considering how he felt heat begin to pool in inappropriate places the longer he thought of Lucy relaxing her hands and allowing the dress to fall to the ground, turning in her spot slowly and giving Natsu a sultry look as she waited for him to take her against the wall.

Oh whoops.

Bad thoughts.

Why were his feet moving?

Natsu blinked, suddenly a breath too close to Lucy to be on the platonic end of maybe-dating. The perfume she had put on made him swallow a groan, the orange blossom and vanilla scent mixing with her own sunshiney one swimming through his head and bringing with it a blanket of fog. Natsu was pretty sure he didn't need to be acting any dumber -more dumb?- around Lucy than usual. Not that any of this was his fault. But it wasn't Lucy's either. So maybe it was his fault? Gods, Natsu couldn't even think straight as he looked over the waterfall of golden waves that were pushed off of Lucy's right shoulder and onto her chest. "Natsu?" she asked, voice soft and breathy, as if she had just done their morning run. Natsu had never reacted like this before, though, hunger clawing at his gut and the need to touch almost painful as he continued to resist it.

"I'm right here, Luce," Natsu said, licking his lips and coughing awkwardly as he tried to clear the growl from his throat. He almost whimpered as Lucy shivered before him, swaying in her spot, a whisper in the back of Natsu's mind telling him it had been his gruff voice that had pulled this reaction from her. Which would be silly-

If Natsu couldn't smell the scent of arousal rising from her skin. Sweet and bitter and thick and calling to him like a siren in those stories Macao was so fond of telling.

"Lucy," Natsu rumbled. He stepped closer to her, dragging his knuckles along the exposed skin facing him, Lucy leaning into his feathery touch as he traced the curve of her spine to where Lucy held the closing of her dress. She was soft under his hand, smoother than his own roughened skin, most scars healed to non-existence by Wendy, but Natsu could trace them from memory, each time he had failed to protect her burned into his eyes. Her breath stuttered as she inhaled, Lucy weak on her feet as Natsu repeated the touch with his other hand, pressing into her more, confidence growing inside him and making him bolder as they edged to whatever was happening here.

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, another shiver wracking her body. Natsu fingered at the zipper, holding both parts of her dress closed, not moving to close the zipper even as Lucy's hands fell away.

"Are you sure you want me to do that, Luce?" Natsu asked. He leaned forward, his nose brushing the side of her ear as he spoke, allowing his voice to fall to the same low pitch it had been in before. "Don't you think it'd be much easier to just let it fall?" Natsu didn't know where this was coming from, but he was thankful that he apparently had the instincts to not be a complete idiot.

Lucy turned her head slightly, Natsu watching her profile intensely. Her eyes were closed, full lashes brushing the swell of her cheek, the fair skin dusted with a flush that matched the scent that was slowing surrounding them. "Do you want it to fall?" she asked. Natsu watched how her pink glossed lips moved around her words, desperate to know if she tasted as sweet as she looked she would. Natsu grunted in agreement, mouth falling open with a breath as he continued to nose at her lobe. He felt the fabric of her dress bunch in his fingers, fists tightening as he bit back a low sound, Lucy shivering under the assault of his breath on the back of her neck.

A second passed, both frozen where they were. Natsu felt as though time slowed around them, finally broken by Lucy nodding in a motion so small Natsu would have missed it if not for his hyper-focus on her. He let the fabric slip from his hands, all the air leaving from his lungs as he watched the red dress fall down her body like a waterfall, fluttering and tracing the curves it undressed before pooling around her feet and revealing the three-inch heels that brought the top of her head to his eye level.

"Fuck."

Lucy giggled, and Natsu realized he had spoken out loud. His face heated in embarrassment at being caught, but he grinned back, meeting Lucy's sly gaze as her lashes fluttered open. Natsu's grin sharpened, his hands trailing along her shoulder blades before settling on her hips, flesh warm and soft and full under his greedy squeezes. "We're not going to make that party on time, are we?" she asked, pressing her back to his chest.

"It's not in my plans," Natsu purred, giving her another squeeze as his fingers stretched to creep towards her stomach, pulling her tighter against him so he felt her warmth through his shirt. He dipped his chin into the crook of her neck, lips brushing over the delicate skin there. Lucy's pulse jumped under his touch, calling to Natsu until he crumbled and flicked his tongue against her, tasing her sweetness and lust. Sharp pulls dragged along his scalp, Natsu groaning at the pleasure of Lucy raking her hands through his hair, her arms lifted above her head once more.

Natsu's arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her to him as he led her to take a step towards the wall he had been fantasizing about using earlier. He grinned against her neck when she spoke a single word, her smile painted clearly in her pleased and breathy tone as Natsu pressed a heavy kiss to the hollow of her neck and shoulder.

"Good."

* * *

 **A/N; Enjoy this almost smut!**


	44. Repayment

**A/N;**

 **Pairing; Nalu, Fairy Tail**

 **Genre and Rating; Canonverse, K**

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

" _Pleaseeee?"_

"It's still no."

Natsu looked up from the wing he was working on carving out, the chunk of cherry blossom wood in his hands already half-formed into a miniature dragon. He had picked up whittling when he was on the road, no Happy or Lucy to distract him from his own thoughts and even Natsu knowing that he couldn't train twenty-four hours a day. So, whittling.

Lucy flopped on her bed, face half turned so he could see her pathetic puppy dog eyes. Natsu snorted, turning back to chipping away at the spine of the spread wing. The chips and slivers burned to ash as they fell away, Natsu knowing it'd be easier to sweep that up than any pieces Lucy could step on and use to ban him from working in her living room.

"But Natsu," Lucy whined, "it's the last day Kali Ander will be in Crocus, and she's signing her latest book _Moon's Shadow_ and giving spoilers for the unnamed fourth book in the series! I can't miss it!"

"Then why didn't you go before? I'm sure Levy woulda gone with ya," Natsu snorted, squinting as he examined his creation one more time before moving on to the head.

"Because I didn't _know_ ," Lucy grumbled. Natsu glanced over at her, rolling his eyes when he saw Lucy's face twist back into a begging pout when she caught him looking at her. Lucy huffed, letting the act fall. "Yukino sent me a selfie on lacrame cell of her there with Rogue and Sting."

"Sucks to suck then. I'm sure she'll get ya a book," Natsu said.

"Why are you being so meannnn," Lucy whined. Natsu sighed as he put down his half-finished dragon to face Lucy fully. She was blinking wide, doleful eyes at him, lower lip pushed out and her arms pulling together in front of her just the slightest. Natsu only saw that part from his peripheral though, knowing if he commented on it or even looked Lucy would freak and get all embarrassed about it. It wasn't like she was even trying to seduce him, Natsu was just pretty sure it was instinct on her part from having to haggle with old perverts for a year before Natsu had found her. Lucy may have a kind streak the size of Laxus' ego but that didn't mean she didn't know how to manipulate men to her whims.

Natsu was oddly proud of her for that.

"Because we'll have to take a fuckin' train if we leave now," Natsu explained, "and frankly I'd rather tell Gray he's a better mage than go on one of those death missiles."

Lucy blinked at him, brown eyes somehow wider than before. "You can stop being so cute, I ain't going." Natsu said flatly, lips twitching at her loud noise of complaint and narrowed gaze.

Lucy fell backward with a groan, knowing she wasn't going to win. Natsu watched her for a minute or two, Lucy accepting defeat. The scent of wilting flowers and under-brewed chai tea filled the room, Natsu's gut sinking. He hadn't meant to make Lucy _sad._ He stood, making his way around her sofa and laying down next to her. She bounced, but otherwise didn't react, staring blankly at the ceiling. "How come ya want me to go with ya so bad?" Natsu asked. Lucy shrugged half-heartedly, still not looking at him.

Natsu frowned, pushing his finger under her ribs and pulling a high yelp from her. "C'mon Luce, talk to me. I know I'm your best best-friend but it ain't like you're on a shortage of other friends. What's up?"

"We haven't done anything outside of group missions in a while is all," Lucy mumbled. She sat up, pushing her hand through her hair with a sigh. "It's stupid, never mind." She flashed him a smile, large and happy and so fake Natsu was almost offended. It was the smile she used in interviews, or when boys stopped her on the street to ask for a picture with her. Natsu was never supposed to be on the receiving end of that smile.

Lucy pushed off the bed, leaving Natsu to slowly sit up and watch her. She rummaged around her apartment, pulling on her boots and clipping on her belt with all her keys. It was bigger on her than when Natsu had left, Lucy needed to cinch it two holes more. Natsu took it her whole appearance, not liking the way his gut shifted uncomfortably at the physical reminder of Lucy's pain, even less settled by her actions. Before she would have had a thoughtless smile on as she puttered, but now… Now that wasn't there. She looked older, Natsu acutely aware that the kinda-spoiled over-confident heiress-on-the-run he had met all those years ago wasn't there anymore. Lucy no longer demanded the room in the way she once had. More subdued. Less likely to hold onto something she wanted. The old Lucy wouldn't have even asked, just dragged him along to the train station.

"Whatcha doin'?" Natsu asked, meeting Lucy's eyes through the mirror where she was putting up her hair. Natsu liked her hair this long, like a waterfall of gold.

"Getting ready to go to the guild dummy, I'm starving." She gave him that same photo-ready smile, her honey and morning light scent still missing. "I'm sure Gray or Erza will have a job to take my mind off it. Ooh! Maybe some monster will be roaming the mountains, that way you and Gray won't spend it all fighting each other and when you destroy everything in a two-mile radius it won't be docked from our reward."

Natsu remained in his spot, watching her. Lucy gave him an odd look, turning on her heel and setting her hands on her hips. "Are you coming? You know I only let you stay here without me if Happy's here to supervise," she joked, but Natsu could smell her nervousness.

They hadn't talked at all about the year, and Natsu was still fine with that as much as he knew they should, but he didn't like this. Lucy tiptoeing around him like one wrong action would send him away again. Natsu stood wordlessly, throwing his arm around Lucy's shoulders. Her confused expression melted away, her smile finally reaching her chocolate brown eyes, even if just a little.

"Aye sir!" Natsu chirped.

The walk was filled with Lucy's idle chatter, making up for the silence Natsu left. She trailed off when Natsu led them to take a left instead of right. She said his name in question, Natsu humming without answering. He pulled her closer to his side, Lucy's squeak making his chest shake with a suppressed chortle. He ignored her questions until they were at the train square, queued behind four people.

"I don't understand," Lucy whined, giving him a real pout with her cheeks puffed out. Like chipmunk.

Natsu grinned at her, rightness returning in the world at the way she eyed the ticket master hopefully. "This is Kandy Under's last day, right? If we grab the express we can get there before three, and then you can buy me dinner to make up for me dying."

Lucy squealed, hugging Natsu's chest tightly. He blushed, coughing awkwardly as he patted her back. She was so soft, and Natsu was getting a little dizzy from her exuberance.

Natsu didn't really listen as Lucy rambled about her favourite parts of the series and all the twists, and how Lucy was thinking of changing her own story to add the surprise of the good diety actually being the bad one. Natsu knew he had a while to go before things were back to normal with him and Lucy, but any progress was something he wasn't about to waste. Even if it meant getting on a carriage of horrors.

* * *

 **A/N; This got angsty whoops! Thank you for the request tho, and I have decided to retcon everything after GMG. In this version, Natsu decided to go train all by his lonesome and left Lucy with Happy. Lucy still fell into a bit of a depression but was pulled from it easier with Happy's help, and they were given more of a recovery break before being thrown into the war with Alveraz!**


End file.
